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娠 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
shēnpregnantg, 10 strokes, radical 女, Very Hard
shēn(shen1) T1
  1. 1pregnant
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March 24, 2026

shēn(shen1)

The character 娠 (shēn) means 'pregnant' and is used primarily in medical or formal contexts. It conveys the state of carrying a developing fetus and can appear in discussions about pregnancy, childbirth, and related health topics.

Strokes10RadicalFrequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, discussions about pregnancy are often intertwined with traditional practices and beliefs, including the importance of prenatal care and rituals to ensure the health of the mother and child.

Memory Tip

Think of the character 娠 as a mother (女) nurturing a baby (the hidden meaning of life within). The radical 女 (woman) suggests femininity, while the overall form evokes the idea of a woman in a special state, which sounds like 'shēn.'

Meanings of 娠

shēn(shen1)
1pregnant
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 娠

Simplified
10Strokes
Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 娠

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Podcast:

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AI Study Notes for 娠

Quick Contrast

怀 (huái) - use 娠 when emphasizing a formal or medical context, while 怀 is more commonly used in everyday language.

Memory Mnemonic

Think of the character 娠 as a mother (女) nurturing a baby (the hidden meaning of life within). The radical 女 (woman) suggests femininity, while the overall form evokes the idea of a woman in a special state, which sounds like 'shēn.'

Usage Notes

This term is typically used in formal or medical contexts, such as in hospitals or health discussions. A common mistake is to confuse 娠 with the more general term for 'to give birth' (生 shēng), which is different; remember that 娠 specifically refers to pregnancy.

HSK Study Tips

Although 娠 is not part of HSK vocabulary, it connects with terms related to family and health. Students should focus on recognizing this character in medical contexts and pairing it with other related vocabulary like 孕 (yùn), meaning 'to conceive.'

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, discussions about pregnancy are often intertwined with traditional practices and beliefs, including the importance of prenatal care and rituals to ensure the health of the mother and child.

Common Mistakes

Learners may incorrectly use 娠 in casual conversations about pregnancy, where they should use 孕 instead. For example, saying '我娠了' (I'm pregnant) is less common than '我孕了.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 娠

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Etymology of 娠

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 辰 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

woman

Semantic (meaning)
+
Phonetic (sound)
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 娠?

Decomposition of 娠

IDS Structure⿰女辰
Full Character
=
nü3
left
chen2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 娠?

Write 娠

Practice writing stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 娠

娠 carries one core meaning. 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 3

Complete the Sentence

妊____期从95天至150天不等。

The gestation period can be anything between 95 and 150 days.

Example Sentences for 娠 (2)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
妊娠期从95天至150天不等。

rèn shēn qī cóng95 95 tiān150 zhì 150 tiān。

The gestation period can be anything between 95 and 150 days.
2
孩子的性别在妊娠期第三个月便可查明。

hái zǐ de xìng bié zài rèn shēn qī dì sān gè yuè biàn kě chá míng。

During the third month of pregnancy the sex of the child becomes determinable.

Cultural Notes for 娠

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, discussions about pregnancy are often intertwined with traditional practices and beliefs, including the importance of prenatal care and rituals to ensure the health of the mother and child.

Word Family of 娠

Words Containing This Character2
妊娠pregnancy
shēnpregnant
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 妊娠 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 娠

No, 娠 is typically used in more formal or medical contexts rather than everyday casual conversation.