HSK · Level 72
60 words
Chinese word
半边天
Pronunciation
Pinyinbàn biān tiān
Meaning
- nounwomen
Example
每个家庭都离不开半边天。měi gè jiā tíng dōu lí bù kāi bàn biān tiān
No family can do without women.
More examples
社区活动中，半边天积极参与公共事务。shè qū huó dòng zhōng bàn biān tiān jī jí cān yù gōng gòng shì wù
In community activities, women actively participate in public affairs.
Core concept
A broad image of women as a major share of the people who sustain family life and society.
Common phrases
撑起半边天chēng qǐ bàn biān tiān
hold up half the sky
争做半边天zhēng zuò bàn biān tiān
strive to hold up half the sky
Similar words
女性nǚ xìng: The general category of women defined by sex or social gender.
妇女fù nǚ: Women, usually adults, considered in connection with family and social responsibilities.
女人nǚ rén: An informal everyday term for women regardless of age or status.
女士nǚ shì: A respectful form used for a woman in a polite or formal setting.
Definition in Chinese
泛指在家庭和社会生活中分担大量责任、构成社会重要力量的女性，是对女性贡献的概括性称呼。fàn zhǐ zài jiā tíng hé shè huì shēng huó zhōng fēn dān dà liàng zé rèn gòu chéng shè huì zhòng yào lì liàng de nǚ xìng shì duì nǚ xìng gòng xiàn de gài kuò xìng chēng hū
Word origin
半边天 (bànbiāntiān, "half the sky") uses 半 (bàn, "half") + 边 (biān, "side") + 天 (tiān, "sky") to turn part of the sky into a metaphor for women's share of family and social responsibility.
Usage tips
- In everyday Chinese, this noun usually refers to women collectively, so it often describes a group rather than one particular woman.
Other meanings
- half the skynoun
Opposites
- 男权主义nán quán zhǔ yìmale chauvinismnoun