媳

xí
女 + 息

Definitions

xí (noun) daughter-in-law

Etymology

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

Semantic: 女 Phonetic: 息

About

The character 媳 (xí) is a phono-semantic compound, combining the meaning-bearing radical 女 (nǚ) 'woman' with the sound-indicating component 息 (xī). This construction was devised to represent a daughter-in-law, the wife of one's son, a vital familial role in the patrilineal kinship system. Over time, its application expanded regionally and historically to also serve as a colloquial term for a wife or a young married woman, making visible the centrality of marriage to women's identities in traditional families.

Example Sentences Hide

我的媳妇很好。

Wǒ de xífu hěn hǎo.

My daughter-in-law is very good.

她是个好媳妇。

Tā shì gè hǎo xífu.

She is a good daughter-in-law.

媳妇照顾全家。

Xífu zhàogù quán jiā.

The daughter-in-law takes care of the whole family.

我的媳妇来自北京。

Wǒ de xífu láizì Běijīng.

My daughter-in-law is from Beijing.

婆婆和媳妇关系很好。

Pópo hé xífu guānxì hěn hǎo.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law have a good relationship.

她媳妇在银行工作。

Tā xífu zài yínháng gōngzuò.

Her daughter-in-law works in a bank.

这位媳妇非常孝顺公婆。

Zhè wèi xífu fēichāng xiàoshun gōngpó.

This daughter-in-law is very filial to her parents-in-law.

媳妇的辛勤付出让家庭和睦。

Xífu de xīnqín fùchū ràng jiātíng hémù.

The daughter-in-law's hard work makes the family harmonious.

Related Characters

Component: 女

要 如 好 她 女 安 始 委 威 妈 姐 娘 妇 婚

Component: 息

熄 螅 鎴 瘜 鄎

Example Words

媳妇 儿媳 儿媳妇 娶媳妇 婆媳 媳妇儿 小媳妇 侄媳妇 孙媳妇 弟媳 童养媳