男女

• 拼音: nán nǚ
• 汉字拆解: 男 = 田 (field) + 力 (strength) — strength in the field; 女 = pictograph of a kneeling woman

含义

Men and women; male and female. A collective term for both genders.

Used as a general term to refer to both sexes collectively. Commonly appears in phrases like 男女老少 (men and women, old and young — meaning everyone), 男女平等 (gender equality), and 男女关系 (male-female relations). It can function as both a noun and an attributive modifier.

例句

1. 这所学校的男女比例大概是一比一。
2. 男女平等是社会进步的重要标志。
3. 游泳池的男女更衣室是分开的。

用法指南

语境: society, institutions, demographics

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 这个活动不分男女，都可以参加。(This event is open to all, regardless of gender.)
• 男女同学之间应该互相尊重。(Male and female classmates should respect each other.)

错误说法

• 用'男女'来称呼某一对情侣 (Don't use 男女 to refer to a specific couple — use 男朋友和女朋友 or simply 他们俩 instead)

起源与历史

A straightforward compound of 男 (male) and 女 (female) — pairing the two gender characters.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal