Definitions

shēng (bound form) sister's son; nephew

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "甥", meaning sister's son, is structurally composed of "男" indicating male and "生" serving as a phonetic component that also suggests birth or origin, etymologically highlighting a male descendant from one's sister. Initially in classical texts, the term occasionally referred to a son-in-law, but over time its meaning narrowed exclusively to denote a nephew related through one's sister, thereby reinforcing the conceptual alignment between its compositional elements and the specific familial relationship.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这是我的外

Zhè shì wǒ de wàisheng.

This is my nephew.

我姐姐的儿子是我的外

Wǒ jiějie de érzi shì wǒ de wàisheng.

My sister's son is my nephew.

我的外很喜欢玩足球。

Wǒ de wàisheng hěn xǐhuan wán zúqiú.

My nephew really likes to play soccer.

舅舅给外买了一个新书包。

Jiùjiu gěi wàisheng mǎi le yī gè xīn shūbāo.

The uncle bought a new schoolbag for his nephew.

我外女的头发很长很漂亮。

Wǒ shēngnǚ de tóufa hěn cháng hěn piàoliang.

My niece's hair is very long and beautiful.

我的外今年考上了大学。

Wǒ de wàisheng jīnnián kǎoshàng le dàxué.

My nephew was admitted to university this year.

我外的生日派对很热闹。

Wǒ wàisheng de shēngrì pàiduì hěn rènao.

My nephew's birthday party was very lively.

看到外健康成长是我最大的欣慰。

Kàndào wàisheng jiànkāng chéngzhǎng shì wǒ zuì dà de xīnwèi.

Seeing my nephew grow up healthy is my greatest comfort.