性别

• Pinyin: xìng bié
• Hanzi breakdown: 性 = 忄 (heart) + 生 (life); 别 = 另 (other) + 刂 (knife), meaning to separate or distinguish

Meaning

Gender; sex. The classification of a person as male or female.

Used in official and everyday contexts to refer to biological sex or gender identity. Common in forms, surveys, and social discussions. Related phrases: 性别平等 (gender equality), 性别歧视 (gender discrimination), 不分性别 (regardless of gender).

Examples

1. 请在表格上填写你的性别。 Please fill in your gender on the form.
2. 工作机会不应该受到性别的限制。 Job opportunities should not be limited by gender.
3. 现在社会越来越重视性别平等。 Nowadays society places more and more importance on gender equality.

Usage Guide

Context: official, social, forms

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你的性别是什么？(What is your gender?)
• 性别不应该影响工资水平。(Gender should not affect salary levels.)

Don't Say

• 你的性别是女人。(When filling in 性别, use 男 or 女, not 男人 or 女人. The categories are 男/女, not full nouns.)

Origin & History

性 means 'nature' or 'character' and 别 means 'to distinguish' or 'difference'. Together they describe the distinction based on innate nature — i.e., the biological or social classification of sex.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal