女孩儿

• Pinyin: nǚ háir
• Hanzi breakdown: 女 = pictograph of a woman; 孩 = 子 (child) + 亥 (phonetic); 儿 = erhua suffix

Meaning

Girl. Refers to a young female person, typically a child or young woman.

The erhua (儿) suffix is characteristic of northern Mandarin pronunciation. In written form, 女孩 (without 儿) is also very common. Used for girls from childhood through young adulthood. More casual than 女生.

Examples

1. 那个女孩儿是我的同学。 That girl is my classmate.
2. 小女孩儿在公园里玩。 The little girl is playing in the park.
3. 这个女孩儿很聪明。 This girl is very smart.

Usage Guide

Context: description, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 那个女孩儿在唱歌。(That girl is singing.)
• 她是一个很好的女孩儿。(She is a very nice girl.)

Don't Say

• 对成年女性说那个女孩儿。(Don't call a clearly adult woman 女孩儿 — use 女人 or 女士 instead)

Origin & History

Composed of 女 (female) and 孩儿 (child, with the erhua suffix typical of Beijing dialect).

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal