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荡妇 (dàng fù) — (derogatory) promiscuous woman; slut; loose woman

Definition

A derogatory, literary insult for a 'promiscuous woman' — similar in force to English 'slut'. In modern use it is almost always offensive; the example of being mislabeled shows it is typically used to insult, not describe.

noun
(derogatory) promiscuous womanslutloose woman
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • ，荡妇。
    Zài gǔ dài, rén men cháng cháng bǎ bù shǒu fù dào de nǚ rén chēng wéi dàng fù.
    In ancient times, people often called women who did not keep to female virtue 'loose women'.
  • 荡妇，。
    Tā jū rán mà tā de qī zi shì dàng fù, zhè tài guò fèn le.
    He actually called his wife a slut; that's too much.
  • 荡妇。
    Tā yīn wèi chuān zhuó dà dǎn bèi rén wù rèn wéi shì dàng fù.
    She was mistaken for a loose woman because of her bold attire.

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.

荡dànglicentious
妇fùwoman

A 妇 woman described as 荡 licentious.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 蕩; 荡 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 荡 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words it is 蕩; in others it is 盪.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
湯
湯tāng蕩dàng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

About the traditional form 蕩: it is made of 艹 (grass, written fully as 艸) and 湯, which gives the sound. The simplified 荡 is only a later shorthand.

Open 荡 →

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 婦; 妇 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚwoman
Sound part声符shēngfú
帚
帚zhǒu婦fù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 婦 pairs 女 (woman) with 帚 (broom), and the Shuowen reads it as a woman holding a broom. The simplified 妇 is a shorthand.

Open 妇 →
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