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独生女 (dú shēng nǚ) — only daughter (a daughter who is her parents' only child)

Definition

An only daughter — the family has no other children. Contrast with 独生子 (only son); together 独生子女 covers an only child of either gender.

noun
only daughter (a daughter who is her parents' only child)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 独生女。
    Tā shì jiā lǐ de dú shēng nǚ.
    She is the only daughter in the family.
  • 独生女，。
    Zuò wéi dú shēng nǚ, tā cóng xiǎo dé dào le hěn duō ài.
    As an only daughter, she received a lot of love since childhood.
  • ，独生女。
    Tā men zhǐ yǒu yí gè hái zi, shì gè dú shēng nǚ.
    They have only one child, an only daughter.

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.

独生only born
独dúonly生shēngborn
偏正Modifier + head
女nǚdaughter

独 (only) + 生 (born) + 女 (daughter) means the only daughter.

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 獨; 独 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犭Written in full as犬quǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
蜀
蜀shǔ獨dú
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 獨 pairs 犬 (dog) with 蜀, which gives the sound; the simplified 独 is a shorthand.

Open 独 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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 →
Appears in
Family & Kinship

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