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男子气 (nán zǐ qì) — manliness, masculinity

Definition

Refers to traditional masculine qualities such as decisiveness, strength, and responsibility. Unlike 男人 or 男性 (just 'male/man'), 男子气 is an abstract quality, not a person.

noun
manlinessmasculinity

Examples

  • 男子气，。
    Tā hěn yǒu nán zǐ qì, zuò shì guǒ duàn yòu fù zé rèn.
    He is very manly — decisive and responsible in his actions.
  • 男子气。
    Xiàn dài shè huì duì nán zǐ qì de dìng yì yuè lái yuè duō yuán le.
    Modern society's definition of masculinity is becoming more diverse.
  • 男子气，。
    Tā shuō huà de shēng yīn hěn yǒu nán zǐ qì, ràng rén gǎn dào kě kào.
    His voice has a manly quality that makes people feel dependable.

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.

男子male person
男nánmale子zǐperson
偏正Modifier + head
气qìair

The air or spirit of a male person, meaning manliness.

Characters in this word

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

男 is made from 田, a field, and 力, strength. It shows a man working with strength in a field.

Open 男 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →
Appears in
Personality & Traits

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