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少妇 (shào fù) — young married woman

Definition

Literally 'young + married woman' — refers specifically to a young woman who is already married, typically in her twenties to early thirties. Often used to describe her appearance or attractiveness.

noun
young married woman
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 少妇。
    Nà wèi shào fù chuān zhuó yì tiáo hóng qún zi.
    That young married woman is wearing a red dress.
  • 少妇。
    shào fù Zài gōng yuán lǐ tuī zhe yīng ér chē sàn bù.
    The young married woman is pushing a stroller in the park.
  • ，少妇。
    Tā yǐ jīng shì liǎng gè hái zi de mǔ qīn le, réng rán shì gè mí rén de shào fù.
    She is already the mother of two children, yet she is still a charming young married 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.

少shǎoyoung
妇fùwoman

“少” (young) and “妇” (woman) combine to mean a young woman or wife.

Characters in this word

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

The form 少 is drawn as four dots, perhaps three grains of sand, to indicate a few or a little.

Open 少 →

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
Life Stages & AgePeople (General)

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