女 Martyr Mother vs. Forthright Feminist

These are the characters in this series. To see them put together in a story, click on the image above to access the pdf. Then review and quiz yourself at the bottom.

hūn

marriage
女 + 昏hūn
woman + dusk

woman joins another clan at dusk

miào

wonderful
女 + 少shǎo
woman + few

praise a woman as wonderful, meaning those like her are few and far between OR Women are wonderful. Few would dispute that.

xián

dislike
女 + 兼jiān
woman + double

She is disliked as a woman who leads a double life, cheating on her husband. OR dislike women being treated with a double standard compared to men

méi

matchmaker
女 + 某mǒu
woman + picnic basket

matchmaker sets up a blind date, a picnic OR matchmaking service offers free picnic basket on first date

wěi

committee
禾 + 女
grain + woman

a committee about whole grains made up of women

newborn
女 + 圭
woman + bricks

carrying a newborn can feel to a woman like carrying around bricks

slave [n.]
女nǚ + 又
woman + right hand

woman uses her right hand to slave away

woman chained by her right hand on her way to slavery

nanny
女 + 母mǔ
woman + mother

a nanny is a woman who helps the mother

yāo

bewitching
女 + 夭yāo
woman + die young

A young woman was bewitched by a life in the spotlight and died young. OR If you are bewitched by the myth that a woman can do it all and all at once, you will die young.

wēi

might [n.]
一 + 女 + 戊
one + woman + cannon

The might of a cannon blows one woman away.

It takes one woman to show her might by standing up to the cannon

yùn

iron [v.]
尉 + 火
martyr + fire

martyr mother fires the iron for years to keep Dad looking good OR so many options for a career woman to avoid being the martyr at home ironing: wrinkle-free fabrics, dry cleaners, housekeepers

yīn

in-law
女 + 因yīn
woman + cause

Because of marriage a woman becomes part of in-law relationships. OR Women are the cause of marriage. They want the stability of one man to help care for them and their children during child-rearing.

yàn

banquet
宀 + 日 + 女
house + day + woman

for a banquet, it takes a woman all day to prepare the house

take a wife
取qǔ + 女
take + woman

Hopefully when a man takes a woman to wife, he also takes her somewhere nice.

jiē

all
比 + 白
compare + white

housewives comparing their whites washed with All

female, *woman

as a component: “女字旁”

xìng

surname
女 + 生shēng
woman + life/seed

a Chinese woman keeps her surname, but her seed takes her husband's

wàng

absurd [adj.]
亡wáng + 女
deceased + woman

a lot of ideas about women are absurd and should "decease"

her fear is looking absurd in her coffin

fáng

hinder
女 + 方fāng
woman + compass

some women (me) are hindered in their compass skills OR thoughts of a woman can hinder a man’s sense of direction

zhuāng

put on makeup
丬qiáng + 女
turtle + woman

Picture a woman putting on makeup from a small turtle shell.

Some women take forever to put on makeup, as slow as a turtle.

jiē

welcome [v.]
扌 + 立 + 女
hand + stand up + woman

to welcome: reach out hand and stand up when a woman comes in the room

a woman standing at the school gate welcoming her kids with a hug

shuǎ

mess around
而 + 女
beard + woman

She doesn’t mess around with beards; she wants a man with a clean-shaven face. OR Santa baby, hurry down the chimney tonight.

jiān

adultery
女 + 干gān
woman + clothesline

A woman commits adultery after flirting with the neighbor over the fence every time she is out hanging up her laundry.

干 can be a vulgar word for sex.

married woman
女 + 彐
woman + broom

married woman with a broom

yīng

baby
贝 + 贝 + 女
2 shells + woman

Two 宝贝 (bǎobèi babies) is all a woman’s body can handle. OR So many women I know are having babies with IVF. It’s expensive.

jealous of
女 + 户hù
woman + door

I’m so jealous of her front door. It’s the house’s 1920’s original.

mèi

flatter
女 + 眉méi
woman + eyebrows

He says the first time we met, I kept making eyebrows at him. I say, “Don’t flatter yourself.” OR You noticed my eyebrows? Wow, I’m flattered.

tuǒ

appropriate
爫 + 女
claw + woman

A claw clip is versatile enough for appropriate hairstyles for various occasions.

wife
十 + 肀 + 女
needle + rake + woman

traditional qualifications for a good housewife: sewing and gardening

a "ten-rake wife" that brings so many skills and tools into the marriage

wǎn

tactful
女 + 宛wǎn
woman + Cabela's

woman tactfully avoids spending all day at Cabela's

姿

looks [n.]
次cì + 女
next + woman

“next, next, next” man passing over women who don’t meet his idea of good looks OR We’re moving on to the next era of female looks, where there is a celebration of many different looks.

jiāo

attractive
女 + 乔qiáo
woman + pretend

There is no need for a woman to pretend; she’s already attractive as she is.

attractive woman pretending to not be as smart as she is

sǎo

sweep
扌 + 彐
hand + broom

use hand to sweep with a broom

hǎo

good
女 + 子
woman + child

woman with her child is good

yào

want [v.]
西 + 女
Wild West + woman

poster in the Wild West Wanted: Women

Western women want it all: family, career, etc.

be like
女nǚ + 口
woman + mouth

women talking about what it would be like if…

ancient ritual where people walk out of a cave to symbolically represent rebirth, like coming out of a woman’s birth canal

nǎi

milk [n.]
女 + 乃nǎi
woman + fist

woman squeezes with fist and gets milk

easy
日 + 勿
sun/day + knot

sewing by the window, easier to tie knots with the sunlight

It is easy to waste your day getting tied in knots over things out of your control.

zhǐ

purpose
匕 + 日
spoon/person sitting + day

feeding the baby gave purpose to my days OR even if you sit at a desk every day, find your purpose

shǐ

commence
女 + 台
woman + stage

woman on the stage commencing the women's march

hàn

sweat [n.]
氵 + 干gān
water + dry/clothesline

dry the wet sweat from your workout clothes on the clothesline OR sweat as you hang the clothes out to dry

dān

assume
扌 + 旦dàn
hand + daybreak

Every morning stretch hands up at daybreak and assume responsibilities.

Use your hand to turn off the alarm at daybreak and assume your responsibilities.

ān

peaceful
宀 + 女
house + woman

a woman at peace when she is the only one in the house

shí

reality
宀 + 头
house + head/bust

reality is they keep his real head in the house as a memorial OR What is the reality about who is head of the house?

女 Martyr Mother vs. Forthright Feminist

Quiz

married woman

shuǎ

mess around

wàng

absurd [adj.]

jiē

welcome [v.]

zhuāng

put on makeup

Show Answers