Chinese word

男

Pronunciation

Pinyinnán

Meaning

  • nounmale

Example

卫生间门上写着男和女。wèi shēng jiān mén shàng xiě zhe nán hé nǚ

The bathroom door says 'Men' and 'Women'.

Illustration for 男 (male)

More examples

男生在教室里。nán shēng zài jiào shì lǐ

The male student is in the classroom.

Core concept

The human category marked as male, from a child to an adult, and a building block in words for male people.

Common phrases

  • 男生nán shēng

    male student

  • 男孩nán hái

    boy

  • 男人nán rén

    man

Similar words

男人nán rén: A man who has reached adulthood, commonly used in speech.
男孩nán hái: A boy or other young male child.

Definition in Chinese

表示属于男性这一性别的名词，既可指具体的男性个体，也可作为构词要素构成如男孩、男士等词。biǎo shì shǔ yú nán xìng zhè yí xìng bié de míng cí jì kě zhǐ jù tǐ de nán xìng gè tǐ yě kě zuò wéi gòu cí yào sù gòu chéng rú nán hái nán shì děng cí

Word origin

The character 男 (nán, "male") is traditionally explained as 田 (tián, "field") plus 力 (lì, "strength"), linking field work with the later general meaning of the male sex.

Usage tips

  • The sign 男 (nán, "male") works as a short label for a men's room, but it can sound too general when naming a person in conversation.

Other meanings

  • mannoun
  • boynoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word