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贵妇 (guì fù) — upper-class woman; lady (of high social status)

Definition

A noblewoman or wealthy lady of high social standing — distinct from the everyday 夫人 ('Mrs.') by emphasizing aristocratic status rather than marital title. Often used in historical or literary contexts.

noun
upper-class womanlady (of high social status)
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 贵妇。
    Nà wèi guì fù chuān zhuó huá lì de qí páo.
    That upper-class woman is wearing a gorgeous qipao.
  • ，贵妇。
    Zài jiù shè huì, guì fù men hěn shǎo chū mén gōng zuò.
    In old society, upper-class women rarely went out to work.
  • ，贵妇。
    Tā jǔ zhǐ yōu yǎ, yí kàn jiù shì yí wèi guì fù.
    Her manners are elegant; at a glance she is an upper-class lady.

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.

贵guìnoble
妇fùwoman

贵 describes high status, and 妇 names the woman.

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 貴; 贵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèimoney cowrie
Sound part声符shēngfú
臾
臾yú貴guì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貴 uses 貝, a money cowrie, for meaning and 臾 for sound. The simplified 贵 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the old parts.

Open 贵 →

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 →
Appears in
Identity & TitlesSocial Roles & Status

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