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男女平等 (nán nǚ píng děng) — equality of men and women, gender equality

Definition

A set phrase meaning gender equality — the equal rights and treatment of men and women. Used in formal, social, and political contexts, often paired with 推动, 实现, or 原则.

noun
equality of men and womengender equality

Examples

  • 男女平等。
    Wǒ men guó jiā yì zhí zài tuī dòng nán nǚ píng děng.
    Our country has been promoting gender equality.
  • 男女平等。
    nán nǚ píng děng Shì xiàn dài shè huì de zhòng yào yuán zé.
    Gender equality is an important principle in modern society.
  • ，男女平等。
    Jìn nián lái, guān yú nán nǚ píng děng de tǎo lùn yuè lái yuè duō.
    In recent years, discussions about gender equality have been increasing.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

男女men and women
男nánman女nǚwoman
联合Coordinate
平等equal
平pínglevel等děngequal
联合Coordinate

男女 names men and women, and 平 and 等 together mean equal, so the idea is that they are equal.

Characters in this word

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

男 is made from 田, a field, and 力, strength. It shows a man working with strength in a field.

Open 男 →

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 →

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

The origin is uncertain. One explanation combines 八 (division) and 亏 (exhaled air) to show smooth speech.

Open 平 →

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
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì等děng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The top 竹 shows bamboo strips used for writing and sorting; the bottom 寺 once gave the sound, but now sounds different.

Open 等 →
Appears in
Society & Public Life

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