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娘娘腔 (niáng niáng qiāng) — (noun) effeminate mannerisms or speech (in a man, often pejorative); (stative verb) to be effeminate (in behavior or speech)

Definition

A colloquial, often pejorative term for a man's effeminate manner or speech. Carries stronger negative judgment than a neutral description like 女人气.

noun
effeminate mannerisms or speech (in a man, often pejorative)(stative verb) to be effeminate (in behavior or speech)

Examples

  • 娘娘腔。
    Dà jiā dōu jué de tā shuō huà yǒu diǎn niáng niáng qiāng.
    Everyone thinks his speech is a bit effeminate.
  • 娘娘腔，。
    Tā zhè ge rén tài niáng niáng qiāng le, dà jiā dōu xiào hua tā.
    He is too effeminate, everyone laughs at him.
  • 娘娘腔。
    Tā de niáng niáng qiāng ràng rén hěn bù shū fu.
    His effeminate mannerisms make people very uncomfortable.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

娘娘womanish
娘niángwoman娘niángwoman
重叠Reduplication
腔qiāngmanner

娘娘 (womanish) and 腔 (manner) combine to describe a womanish manner.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚ
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng娘niáng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

娘 is built from 女 (woman) and 良, which supplies the sound.

Open 娘 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚ
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng娘niáng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

娘 is built from 女 (woman) and 良, which supplies the sound.

Open 娘 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

腔 is made from 肉 (meat; flesh) plus 空 (empty; hollow), where 空 supplies the sound.

Open 腔 →
Appears in
Personality & Traits

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