A man using strength to work the fields. Male, man, or masculine gender. Field (田) above strength (力): the strong worker in the fields.
The top component 田 represents a field, and the bottom component 力 represents strength or a plow. Together they evoke the traditional image of a man working the land. This association makes the character easy to remember as 'man'.
English speakers might say 'He is a 男' instead of '他是男人'.
'男' cannot directly modify '孩子' to mean 'boy'; the correct term is '男孩'.
男 means male/man, 女 means female/woman; they are often used as modifiers but not as standalone nouns.
男 and 女 are bound forms that usually appear in compounds like 男人, 女人, 男孩, 女孩. They can also be used as adjectives before nouns, e.g., 男老师 (male teacher). Avoid using them alone to refer to a person.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone noun | 他是男人。 | 他是男。 |
| Modifier | 男老师 | 男老师 (correct) |
| Opposite pair | 男女 | 女男 (wrong order) |
男 (nán) means man, 南 (nán) means south; they sound the same but are written differently.
男 has 田 and 力, while 南 has a different structure. They are homophones, so context and character recognition are key. Common words: 男人 (man), 南方 (south).
| Dimension | 男 | 南 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | man, male | south |
| Example | 男朋友 (boyfriend) | 南方 (south) |
| Stroke count | 7 | 9 |
This is a short dialogue about a shopping trip. A woman buys many things, including food, drinks, furniture, and pet food, while her boyfriend reminds her not to overspend.
我的 男朋友 打电话给我：“喂？
我 男友 说：“喂！
我的 男友 ：“我喜欢的桌椅？
我的 男友 说：“那个桌子和椅子有点儿太贵了。
Before you read: this is a short rhyming poem. You will meet a doctor who asks about seeing and hearing. Try to spot words you already know!
女士和 男士 ， 男生 和女生，先生和学生。
This playful poem helps you count and practice vocabulary about clothes, students, and pets. Enjoy the rhythm while learning new words.
六七个 男 学生，七八个女同学，八九个好朋友。
No questions or discussions yet. Have a question about this character/word? Be the first to ask!
