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空中小姐 (kōng zhōng xiǎo jiě) — air stewardess; flight attendant

Definition

A dated, gendered term meaning 'stewardess' — the standard modern equivalent is 空乘 or 乘务员, used for all flight attendants regardless of gender.

noun
air stewardessflight attendant
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 空中小姐，。
    Zhè wèi kōng zhōng xiǎo jiě de fú wù fēi cháng zhōu dào, chéng kè men dōu hěn mǎn yì.
    This flight attendant's service was very attentive, and the passengers were all satisfied.
  • 空中小姐，。
    Tā cóng xiǎo jiù xiǎng dāng yì míng kōng zhōng xiǎo jiě, xiàn zài zhōng yú shí xiàn le mèng xiǎng.
    She had wanted to become a flight attendant since she was young, and now she has finally realized her dream.
  • 空中小姐，？
    Qǐng wèn kōng zhōng xiǎo jiě, wǒ de zuò wèi zài nǎ lǐ?
    Excuse me, stewardess, where is my seat?

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.

空中in the air
空kōngair中zhōngmiddle
偏正Modifier + head
小姐young woman
小xiǎoyoung姐jiěsister
偏正Modifier + head

空中 means in the air, and 小姐 is a young woman, so the whole is a young woman in the air.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
穴穴xuécave, hole
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng空kōng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

空 is built from 穴, a cave or hole, and 工, which gives the sound.

Open 空 →

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

The original picture showed a flagpole with a drum in the middle, set up in the center of a field.

Open 中 →

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

  • 八八bāto divide; to separate
  • 丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Open 小 →

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
女女nǚwoman
Sound part声符shēngfú
且
且qiě姐jiě
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 女 part points to a woman, and 且 is a sound component.

Open 姐 →
Appears in
Air TravelProfessions & Jobs

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