Chinese word

异性

Pronunciation

Pinyinyì xìng

Meaning

  • nounopposite sex

Example

我对异性有好感。wǒ duì yì xìng yǒu háo gǎn

I am attracted to the opposite sex.

Illustration for 异性 (opposite sex)

More examples

他在社交场合很容易吸引异性。tā zài shè jiāo chǎng hé hěn róng yì xī yǐn yì xìng

He easily attracts the opposite sex in social situations.

Core concept

A category for people whose gender differs from a stated person's gender.

Common phrases

  • 异性朋友yì xìng péng yǒu

    opposite-sex friend

  • 吸引异性xī yǐn yì xìng

    attract the opposite sex

  • 与异性交往yǔ yì xìng jiāo wǎng

    date the opposite sex

Similar words

同性tóng xìng: A person whose gender is the same as a specified person's gender.
异性朋友yì xìng péng yǒu: A friend whose gender differs from a specified person's gender.

Definition in Chinese

表示相对于某人而言属于另一种性别的人，常在“异性朋友”“对异性有好感”等短语中出现。biǎo shì xiāng duì yú mǒu rén ér yán shǔ yú lìng yì zhǒng xìng bié de rén cháng zài yì xìng péng yǒu duì yì xìng yǒu háo gǎn děng duán yǔ zhōng chū xiàn

Word origin

异 (yì, "different") modifies 性 (xìng, "sex or gender"), so the compound names the contrasting side of a gender distinction.

Usage tips

  • Attraction is not built into this noun, because any romantic meaning comes from the surrounding context rather than from the category word itself.

Opposites

  • 同性tóng xìngsame sexnoun

Related words

  • 异性朋友yì xìng péng yǒuopposite-sex friendnoun
  • 异性恋yì xìng liànheterosexualitynoun

Word lists with this word