unknown, 14 strokes, radical 隹, rank #14503, Very Hard
cí(ci2) T2
1female
2Taiwan pr. [cī]
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
雌cí(ci2)
The character 雌 (cí) refers to the female gender in animals and plants, often used in scientific contexts. It can also convey qualities like gentleness or softness, typically associated with femininity. In everyday usage, it may appear in terms related to gender distinctions, such as 'male and female'.
Strokes14Radical隹Frequency#14503DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In traditional Chinese culture, the notion of 'female' often associates with domestic roles and gentleness, reflecting historical gender roles. This character may appear in discussions around gender equality in contemporary society.
Memory Tip
Imagine a soft, gentle 'C' shaped cloud (the character's pronunciation 'cí') floating above a female figure, representing gentleness and femininity. The cloud's softness connects to the character's meaning.
Meanings of 雌
cí(ci2)
1female
2Taiwan pr. [cī]
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 雌
雌Simplified
14Strokes
隹Radical
区别词distinguishing word (dist.)Part of Speech
#14503Frequency Rank
Podcast: 雌
Podcast: 雌
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AI Study Notes for 雌
Quick Contrast
雌 (cí, female) vs 雄 (xióng, male) — use 雌 when referring specifically to the female gender in animals or plants, as opposed to 雄 which denotes the male counterpart.
Usage Notes
This character is more commonly used in formal or scientific contexts rather than casual conversation. A frequent mistake is confusing it with the character 雄 (xióng), which means male; be mindful of their different uses in gender distinctions. The tone is crucial—'cí' vs. 'cī' can change meaning entirely.
HSK Study Tips
Although it is not part of HSK vocabulary, understanding 雌 (cí) can help learners grasp gender-related terms in Chinese. Associating it with other HSK words that denote gender can enhance retention, such as 男 (nán) for male.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 雌 (cí) with 雄 (xióng), mistakenly using them interchangeably. For example, saying 雌鸟 (cí niǎo) when referring to a male bird is incorrect; the proper term should be 雄鸟 (xióng niǎo).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 雌
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Phonosemantic compound. 隹 represents the meaning and 此 represents the sound.
1The meaning half隹 carries the sense.
2The sound half此 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaybird
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 雌? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 雌?
Decomposition of 雌
IDS Structure⿰此隹
雌Full Character
=
此ci3
left
隹zhui1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 雌?
How to say female in Chinese
“female” in Chinese is雌cí
The character 雌 (cí) refers to the female gender in animals and plants, often used in scientific contexts. It can also convey qualities like gentleness or softness, typically associated with femininity. In everyday usage, it may appear in terms related to gender distinctions, such as 'male and female'.
When to use 雌
This character is more commonly used in formal or scientific contexts rather than casual conversation. A frequent mistake is confusing it with the character 雄 (xióng), which means male; be mindful of their different uses in gender distinctions. The tone is crucial—'cí' vs. 'cī' can change meaning entirely.
雌 or something close to it
雌 (cí, female) vs 雄 (xióng, male) — use 雌 when referring specifically to the female gender in animals or plants, as opposed to 雄 which denotes the male counterpart.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 雌 (cí) with 雄 (xióng), mistakenly using them interchangeably. For example, saying 雌鸟 (cí niǎo) when referring to a male bird is incorrect; the proper term should be 雄鸟 (xióng niǎo).
Write 雌
雌
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Practice writing 雌 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 雌
雌 carries 4 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.
Exercise 1 of 5
Complete the Sentence
挪威的捕鲸人说昨天他们用捕鲸叉捕获了一头____性小须鲸。
Norwegian whalers said yesterday they had harpooned a female minke whale.
Example Sentences for 雌 (8)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
挪威的捕鲸人说昨天他们用捕鲸叉捕获了一头雌性小须鲸。
nuó wēi de bǔ jīng rén shuō zuó tiān tā mén yòng bǔ jīng chā bǔ huò le yī tóu cí xìng xiǎo xū jīng。
Norwegian whalers said yesterday they had harpooned a female minke whale.
2
很多雄鸟进化出鲜艳的羽毛是为了吸引雌鸟。
hěn duō xióng niǎo jìn huà chū xiān yàn de yǔ máo shì wéi le xī yǐn cí niǎo。
The bright plumage of many male birds has evolved to attract females.
