HSK · Level 77
45 words
Chinese word
寡妇
Pronunciation
Pinyinguǎ fù
Meaning
- nounwidow
Example
她是一位寡妇，独自抚养孩子。tā shì yí wèi guǎ fù dú zì fú yǎng hái zi
She is a widow and raises her child alone.
More examples
政府提供寡妇补助以改善生活。zhèng fǔ tí gōng guǎ fù bǔ zhù yǐ gǎi shàn shēng huó
The government provides a widow's allowance to improve her life.
Core concept
A woman carrying on family life after her husband's death without remarrying.
Common phrases
农村寡妇nóng cūn guǎ fù
rural widow
寡妇补助guǎ fù bǔ zhù
widow's allowance
Similar words
遗孀yí shuāng: A formal, written term for a woman whose husband has died.
丧偶者sàng ǒu zhě: A person who has lost a spouse through death, with no gender stated.
鳏夫guān fū: A man who has lost his wife through death.
Definition in Chinese
指丈夫去世且未再婚的成年女性。zhǐ zhàng fū qù shì qiě wèi zài hūn de chéng nián nǚ xìng
Word origin
寡 (guǎ, "lacking") + 妇 (fù, "woman") builds the idea of a woman with a missing spouse, giving the modern sense of a widow.
Usage tips
- The word describes a marital status caused by a husband's death, not simply a woman who lives alone.
Opposites
- 已婚妇女yǐ hūn fù nǚmarried womannoun