淑女 (shū nǚ) — a refined and virtuous woman (classical ideal)
Definition
A literary, classical-style word for a refined and virtuous woman — comes from the Shijing and sounds poetic, not colloquial. Use it in writing or when evoking a traditional ideal, not for everyday talk.
noun
a refined and virtuous woman (classical ideal)
Measure word · 位
Examples
- ，，淑女。Tā jǔ zhǐ yōu yǎ, tán tǔ dé tǐ, kān chēng yí wèi zhēn zhèng de shū nǚ.Her manners are elegant and her speech is proper — she can be called a true refined lady.
- 《》“淑女，逑”。《Shī jīng》 zhōng nà jù "yǎo tiǎo shū nǚ, jūn zǐ hǎo qiú" liú chuán zhì jīn.That line from the Classic of Poetry — 'A graceful refined lady is a good match for a gentleman' — has been passed down to this day.
- ，淑女。Xiàn dài shè huì zhōng, shū nǚ de biāo zhǔn yǐ jīng fā shēng le biàn huà.In modern society, the standard for a refined lady has already changed.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.