Definitions

niáng (noun) mother
niáng (noun) young lady

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "娘" is structured with the female radical "女" on the left and the component "良" on the right, which primarily functions as a phonetic indicator. Historically, this character denoted a young woman or a daughter, and over time its meaning expanded in vernacular usage to also refer to a mother, particularly in informal or familial contexts. The traditional form "娘" has maintained this composition, while the variant "孃" is sometimes used interchangeably with similar meanings. The semantic shift from indicating a female youth to a maternal figure represents a gradual change in application rather than an alteration in the character's fundamental structure.

Example Sentences Hide

很爱我。

Wǒ niáng hěn ài wǒ.

My mother loves me very much.

那个姑很漂亮。

Nàge gūniang hěn piàoliang.

That girl is very pretty.

我的爹都在北京。

Wǒ de diē niáng dōu zài Běijīng.

My parents are both in Beijing.

亲来了。

Tā niángqīn lái le.

Her mother has come.

每天早起做早餐。

Wǒ niáng měitiān zǎo qǐ zuò zǎocān.

My mother gets up early every day to make breakfast.

这位姑的歌声很动听。

Zhè wèi gūniang de gēshēng hěn dòngtīng.

This girl's singing voice is very pleasant.

告诉我做人要诚实。

Wǒ niáng gàosù wǒ zuòrén yào chéngshí.

My mother told me to be honest in life.

那位姑在舞台上表演得非常出色。

Nà wèi gūniang zài wǔtái shàng biǎoyǎn dé fēichūsè.

That girl performed exceptionally well on stage.