女朋友
nǔpéngyǒu · HSK 1
girlfriend
👩❤️👨 女 (woman) + 朋友 (friend) = girlfriend
女 means woman or female. 朋友 (péngyǒu) means friend, where 朋 is two moons side by side (companions) and 友 shows two hands joined. Together: a female friend, i.e. girlfriend.
女 — pictograph of a kneeling woman
女 is a pictograph originating in oracle bone script, depicting a person kneeling with arms crossed in front, a posture associated with women in ancient China. Over time the form was simplified and squared off into the modern character. Its core meaning of 'woman' or 'female' has remained stable for over three thousand years.
nǚ péng you · HSK 2
girlfriend
👩❤️ 女 (woman) + 朋友 (friend) = girlfriend
女 means woman or female. 朋友 means friend (朋 = companion, 友 = friend). Together 女朋友 literally reads as female friend, the standard term for girlfriend.
女 — pictograph of a kneeling woman
女 is a pictograph originating in oracle bone script, depicting a person kneeling with arms crossed in front, a posture associated with women in ancient China. Over time the form was simplified and squared off into the modern character. Its core meaning of 'woman' or 'female' has remained stable for over three thousand years.