男女老少 (nán nǚ lǎo shào) — people of all ages and genders; everyone, young and old, male and female

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'everyone' — men, women, old and young together. Used as a single noun for 'all kinds of people', not as four separate categories.

noun
people of all ages and genderseveryoneyoung and oldmale and female

Examples

  • 男女老少。
    Zhè ge huó dòng xī yǐn le quán chéng de nán nǚ lǎo shào cān jiā.
    This event attracted people of all ages and genders from the whole city.
  • 男女老少。
    nán nǚ lǎo shào Dōu ài kàn zhè bù diàn shì jù.
    People of all ages and genders love watching this TV drama.
  • 男女老少,。
    Gōng yuán lǐ nán nǚ lǎo shào dōu yǒu, fēi cháng rè nao.
    In the park there are people of all ages and genders — it's very lively.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

男女men and women
男nánmale女nǚfemale
联合Side by side
老少old and young
联合Side by side

男 and 女 cover genders, 老 and 少 cover ages, so the phrase means everyone.

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 shape 老 combines 人 (man), 毛 (hair), and 匕 (cane), showing a man with long hair leaning on a cane.

Open 老 →

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 →

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