About
The character "奴" originates from a compositional etymology that combines the radical 女, meaning woman, with the component 又, signifying a hand, to depict a hand grasping a woman and thus conveying the idea of a captive or enslaved person. Its structural form has persisted with these elements, maintaining the visual suggestion of dominance and servitude inherent in its conception. Initially denoting slaves, often female captives, the term's application broadened over time to encompass various types of servants and subordinates, losing some of its gender-specificity while retaining the core notion of forced labor or low status. In modern usage, the character continues to express direct meanings related to slavery but has also been productively incorporated into compound words that metaphorically describe individuals bound by external pressures, such as in "房奴" for those overwhelmed by mortgage payments, demonstrating how its historical essence has been extended to articulate contemporary forms of subjugation.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个奴隶很辛苦。
奴仆为主人服务。
他表现出奴性。
农奴在田间劳动。
他们被奴役了很多年。
古代奴婢生活悲惨。
我们不能做亡国奴。
反对奴役制度是正义的。