Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 女孩兒 / 女孩儿 | nǚháir | ||
| 女孩子 | nǚháizi | /ny²¹⁴⁻²¹ xaɪ̯³⁵ d͡z̥ɹ̩³/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /nɵy̯¹³ haːi̯²¹ t͡siː³⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 姑娘 | gūniang | /ku⁵⁵ ni̯ɑŋ²/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ku⁵⁵ ni̯ɑ̃ɻ²/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Erhua, Sinological IPA, 姑娘兒 / 姑娘儿) |
|
| 女兒 / 女儿 | nǚ'ér | ||
| 丫頭 / 丫头 | yātou | colloquial | |
| 查某囡仔 | cha-bó͘ gín-á | /t͡sa⁴⁴⁻³³ bɔ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ ɡin⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ a⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yilan, Taichung, Penang, Sinological IPA) /t͡sa³³ bɔ⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ ɡin⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ a⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yilan, Taichung, Penang, Sinological IPA) |
Hokkien |
In Mandarin, the way you refer to a girl depends on whether you are being neutral, affectionate or describing a specific relationship. 女孩子 is the most common and neutral way to say 'girl'. In a more descriptive or literary sense, 姑娘 is used to refer to a young, unmarried woman or a young lady. If you are speaking specifically about a daughter, you must use 女兒.
Which one should you use?
While most terms refer to a girl in a general sense, 女兒 specifically means 'daughter'. For a neutral description, use 女孩子, whereas 姑娘 carries a more descriptive or literary tone often associated with young, unmarried women.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Several informal terms exist: 女生 is commonly used among young people to refer to a girl or a female student, and 妹妹 can be used informally to mean a girl or a little sister. 姑娘 is an informal term often used in an affectionate or endearing way. 丫頭 is a highly colloquial term that can be used affectionately or, in some contexts, in a patronizing manner.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form 女孩兒 is characteristic of Northern dialects due to its suffix. For the Dungan language, the forms include нүзы, гўнён, ятур and нүвазы. In Hokkien, the phrase 查某囡仔 is used.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 女孩兒 / 女孩儿 is nǚháir.
When do people say it?
The term 姑娘 is often used to refer to young, unmarried women in a way that feels endearing or descriptive.
Did you know?
- The word 丫頭 comes from the character 丫, which looks like a fork or a split branch. Historically, it referred to the hairstyle of young girls or the low-ranking maids who served in wealthy households.
- While 妹妹 literally means 'younger sister', it is frequently used as a friendly, informal way to address any young girl or woman you do not know.
- In many parts of Southern China, such as Taiwan or Fujian, you will hear the Hokkien term 查某囡仔 instead of the standard Mandarin terms used in textbooks.
Examples in context
- 在面包房工作的姑娘很可爱。The girl who works at the bakery is cute.This sentence shows how to use 姑娘 to describe a person working in a bakery.Tatoeba #493938 by GlossaMatik, translation #493935 by CM
- 留西雅是一個很單純的姑娘。Lucia is a simple kind of girl.This sentence uses 姑娘 to describe someone's character.Tatoeba #6037679 by xjjAstrus, translation #10055068 by austininchina
- 這只是聽說，但他顯然已離開了那女孩子。It's just hearsay, but apparently he's left the girl.This sentence uses 女孩子 to refer to a person in a hearsay context.
- 这是一个漂亮的女孩This is a beautiful girl.
- 那个女孩子非常聪明That girl is very smart.
- 我的妹妹是一个可爱的女孩My sister is an adorable girl.
- 这个姑娘真漂亮This girl is really beautiful.
- 我的同桌是一个很优秀的女生My desk mate is an excellent girl.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “girl” translations and entries 女孩子, 姑娘, 查某囡仔, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
