Meanings of 妯
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About 妯
Podcast: 妯
Podcast: 妯
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AI Study Notes for 妯
This term is somewhat formal and is primarily used in family discussions or traditional contexts. A common mistake is to confuse 妯 with 妯娌, which means sisters-in-law collectively; ensure you use 妯 when referring to one specific sister-in-law.
As this character is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, learners should focus on its usage in family-related discussions and recognize its connection to other family terms like 姐 (jiě, sister) and 兄 (xiōng, brother) to enhance their vocabulary.
Learners often misuse 妯 when they mean to refer to a sister-in-law from a sister's marriage, leading to confusion. Correct usage would be 妯 for a brother's wife and 嫂 for a sister's wife.
Pronunciation of 妯
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Etymology of 妯
woman
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 妯
- 1The meaning half女 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half由 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawaywoman
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 妯? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 妯?
Decomposition of 妯
Identify the Components
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How to say sister-in law in Chinese
“sister-in law” in Chinese is妯
The character 妯 (zhóu) refers to a sister-in-law, specifically the wife of one's brother. It is often used in familial contexts to describe relationships within a family, particularly among women related by marriage.
When to use 妯
This term is somewhat formal and is primarily used in family discussions or traditional contexts. A common mistake is to confuse 妯 with 妯娌, which means sisters-in-law collectively; ensure you use 妯 when referring to one specific sister-in-law.
What learners get wrong
Learners often misuse 妯 when they mean to refer to a sister-in-law from a sister's marriage, leading to confusion. Correct usage would be 妯 for a brother's wife and 嫂 for a sister's wife.
Write 妯
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Practice writing 妯 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Grammar Patterns of 妯
妯 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Complete the Sentence
她们俩个是 ____娌.
They two are sisters - in - law .
Example Sentences for 妯 (1)
Reorder the Sentence
They two are sisters - in - law .
Word Family of 妯
Compound Meaning
What does 妯娌 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 妯
妯 refers to a single sister-in-law, while 妯娌 refers to multiple sisters-in-law.
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