Meanings of 媳
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About 媳
Podcast: 媳
Podcast: 媳
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AI Study Notes for 媳
媳 (daughter-in-law) vs 妻 (wife) — use 媳 when specifically referring to a daughter-in-law in relation to her in-laws, whereas 妻 refers to a wife in a more general sense.
Learners often confuse 媳 with other familial terms such as 妻 (qī), which means wife. 媳 is more specific to daughter-in-law, so using it in family contexts is key. Avoid using it in overly formal settings, as it is more common in everyday conversation.
As this character is not in the HSK vocabulary lists, it is beneficial for learners at higher levels focusing on family vocabulary. Students should relate 媳 to other family terms like 妻 (wife) and 子 (son) to understand family dynamics better.
Learners may mistakenly use 媳 when referring to a wife, confusing it with 妻. For example, saying '我的媳是医生' (Wǒ de xí shì yīshēng) should be corrected to '我的妻是医生' (Wǒ de qī shì yīshēng) to mean 'My wife is a doctor.'
Pronunciation of 媳
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Jason Explains 媳 to You
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Learning Lab
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Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
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Etymology of 媳
Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 息 represents the sound.
woman
Origin
媳 = 女 + 息. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 媳
Parts
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How to say daughter-in-law in Chinese
“daughter-in-law” in Chinese is媳
The character 媳 (xí) refers specifically to a daughter-in-law in a family context. It is commonly used in discussions about family relationships, lineage, and marriage, emphasizing the role of a woman who marries into a family.
When to use 媳
Learners often confuse 媳 with other familial terms such as 妻 (qī), which means wife. 媳 is more specific to daughter-in-law, so using it in family contexts is key. Avoid using it in overly formal settings, as it is more common in everyday conversation.
媳 or something close to it
媳 (daughter-in-law) vs 妻 (wife) — use 媳 when specifically referring to a daughter-in-law in relation to her in-laws, whereas 妻 refers to a wife in a more general sense.
What learners get wrong
Learners may mistakenly use 媳 when referring to a wife, confusing it with 妻. For example, saying '我的媳是医生' (Wǒ de xí shì yīshēng) should be corrected to '我的妻是医生' (Wǒ de qī shì yīshēng) to mean 'My wife is a doctor.'
Write 媳
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Practice writing 媳 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Grammar Patterns of 媳
媳 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.
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
问 :“你给刘二黑收了个童养____? ”
" Are you raising a girl at home to be Young Blacky's wife? "
Example Sentences for 媳 (3)
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Word Family of 媳
Words with 媳
What does 媳妇 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 媳
While it can be used in formal contexts, it is more commonly found in informal conversation about family.
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