才女 (cái nǚ) — a woman of literary talent; a gifted female intellectual (especially in classical Chinese culture)

Definition

Literary term for a woman of outstanding literary or artistic talent, rooted in classical Chinese culture (琴棋书画). Compare 才子 (the male counterpart), not 才子 itself.

noun
a woman of literary talenta gifted female intellectual (especially in classical Chinese culture)
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 才女，。
    Tā shì yí wèi zhēn zhèng de cái nǚ, qín qí shū huà yàng yàng jīng tōng.
    She is a true talented woman, proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
  • ，才女''。
    Zài gǔ dài, cái nǚ cháng bèi chēng wéi ' nǚ cái zǐ '.
    In ancient times, gifted women were often called 'lady talents'.
  • ，才女。
    Méi yǒu shēn hòu de wén huà dǐ yùn, hěn nán chéng wéi zhēn zhèng de cái nǚ.
    Without a deep cultural foundation, it's hard to become a truly talented woman in the classical sense.

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.

才cáitalent
女nǚwoman

才女 is a 女 with 才, a woman gifted in letters.

Characters in this word

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

才 originally drew a sharp peg, not a sprout growing from the ground.

Open 才 →

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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