女子

• Pinyin: nǚ zǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 女 = pictograph of a kneeling woman; 子 = pictograph of a child, here a formal person suffix

Meaning

Woman; female. A formal term for an adult female person.

The formal counterpart of 男子 (man). Commonly seen in news reports, sports contexts (女子100米 = women's 100 metres), and official language. Not typically used in casual conversation — use 女的 or 女人 instead. Also appears in literary and historical contexts.

Examples

1. 那位女子穿着一件红色的裙子。 That woman is wearing a red dress.
2. 女子马拉松的冠军来自非洲。 The women's marathon champion is from Africa.
3. 现代女子在各行各业都有出色的表现。 Modern women have outstanding performance in all industries.

Usage Guide

Context: news, sports, official language

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这位女子是今年的最佳运动员。(This woman is this year's best athlete.)
• 女子组的比赛下午开始。(The women's group competition starts in the afternoon.)

Don't Say

• 那个女子是我姐姐。(Avoid 女子 when referring to someone you know personally — it sounds like a police report. Use 女的 or her name.)

Origin & History

女 is a pictograph of a kneeling woman; 子 originally meant child but here serves as a formal suffix meaning 'person', parallel to 男子.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal