婢女 (bì nǚ) — maidservant; female servant (in ancient China)

Definition

婢女 is the historical term for a female servant or maid in ancient Chinese households — a low-status role, often owned or bought by the family. Distinct from 妃 (concubine), who was a romantic companion of the master.

noun
maidservantfemale servant (in ancient China)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • ，婢女，。
    Zài gǔ dài, bì nǚ de dì wèi hěn dī, cháng cháng yào gān hěn duō cū huó.
    In ancient times, maidservants had very low status and often had to do a lot of rough work.
  • 婢女。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō lǐ miáo xiě le yí gè zhōng xīn gěng gěng de bì nǚ.
    This novel portrays a loyal and devoted maidservant.
  • 婢女，。
    Tā suī rán chū shēn bì nǚ, dàn hòu lái chéng le yǒu míng de cái nǚ.
    Although she was born a maidservant, she later became a famous talented woman.

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.

婢bìmaidservant; slave
女nǚwoman; female

婢 (servant) and 女 (woman) combine to mean a female servant.

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
卑
卑bēi婢bì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

婢 pairs 女 (woman) with 卑, which gives the sound and also means low or inferior.

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

女 shows a woman with folded arms, kneeling or standing. In the modern form the figure faces right, and the small enclosed part is what is left of one arm.

Open 女 →

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