閹人 / 阉人
yānrén
To say eunuch in Chinese, use 閹人 / 阉人 (yānrén). If unsure, use 閹人 / 阉人. Wiktionary also lists 公公 (gōnggong) and 宦官 (huànguān).
Meaning: castrated man (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 閹人 / 阉人 | yānrén |
| 公公 | gōnggong |
| 宦官 | huànguān |
| 閹宦 / 阉宦 | yānhuàn |
阉人 is a very literal description of a castrated man, because 阉 refers to the act of castration.
What does it mean word for word?
宦官 is made of 宦, official or government service and 官, official or officer.
Which one should you use?
宦官 (huànguān) is the specific term for a eunuch who held an official position in the imperial court. 閹宦 (yānhuàn) is another word for a eunuch. 公公 (gōnggong) is how characters address a eunuch directly in historical dramas and period settings, a respectful form similar to Sir or Master.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
宦官 is the formal word for the eunuchs who served in imperial palaces. 公公 is colloquial and used as a form of address. 阉货 is crude and disrespectful slang.
How do you pronounce it?
In pinyin it is yānrén.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid 阉货, which is an insult rather than a neutral word.
Did you know?
- In imperial China, eunuchs were often the only males allowed to enter the inner quarters of the palace, giving them immense political power despite their lower social status.
- The derogatory term 阉货 (yānhuò) uses the word 货, which literally means 'goods' or 'merchandise'. This reduces the person to a piece of livestock or a commercial object.
- The term 公公 (gōnggong) shares the same characters as the word for 'grandfather' or 'grandpa' in certain Chinese dialects, despite being used as a formal address for eunuchs.
Examples in context
- 在中国古代，宦官扮演了重要的角色。In ancient China, eunuchs played significant roles.
- 这本小说的主人公是一个阉人。The protagonist of this novel is a eunuch.
- 他在俗语中被称为阉货，引起很多争议。He is referred to as Yānhuò in local slang, which has sparked controversy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eunuch” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
