HSK · Level 7
134 words
Chinese word
少女
Pronunciation
Pinyinshào nǚ
Meaning
- noungirl
Example
这本书讲的是少女的故事。zhè běn shū jiǎng de shì shào nǚ de gù shì
This book tells the story of a girl.
More examples
很多少女在青春期会有强烈的自我意识。hěn duō sháo nǚ zài qīng chūn qī huì yǒu qiáng liè de zì wǒ yì shí
Many girls have a strong sense of self during adolescence.
Core concept
A young female at the edge between childhood and adulthood, usually in adolescence.
Common phrases
少女漫画shào nǚ màn huà
girls' comics
少女心shào nǚ xīn
girlish feelings
少女期shào nǚ qī
girlhood
Similar words
女孩nǚ hái: A child or young girl commonly mentioned in everyday conversation.
姑娘gū niáng: A young woman or girl spoken to or mentioned with friendly familiarity.
小姑娘xiǎo gū niáng: A young child who is a girl, addressed or mentioned with affection.
Definition in Chinese
年纪较小的女性，通常指处于青春期或未成年的女孩。nián jì jiào xiǎo de nǚ xìng tōng cháng zhǐ chǔ yú qīng chūn qī huò wèi chéng nián de nǚ hái
Word origin
少 (shào, "young") + 女 (nǚ, "female") forms a noun for a young female, with the two characters directly expressing its core meaning.
Usage tips
- In casual speech, 少女 (shàonǚ, "young girl") can sound literary or descriptive, so it appears more often in written descriptions and storytelling.
Other meanings
- young womannoun
Opposites
- 成熟女性chéng shú nǚ xìngmature womannoun
- 老妇lǎo fùelderly womannoun
Related words
- 少女感shào nǚ gǎngirlishnessnoun
- 少女化shào nǚ huàbecome girlishverb