(nán zǐ) - man, male (formal) in Mandarin
nánzǐTraditional: 男子
Translation
man, male (formal)
Word origin
A compound of 男 (nán, male, itself 田 field over 力 strength) and 子 (zǐ, person, child), giving the formal word for a male person.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 男 (nán, male) + 子 (zǐ, person)
Stroke order
男
子
Examples
。
A man was standing outside the door.
。
The police are looking for a young man.
百。
This is the men's one hundred metres final.
句。
That man did not say a single word.
。
The men's event is held in the afternoon.
男子 (nán zǐ) is the formal, written word for a man. You meet it in two places above all: news reports, where an unnamed man is 一名男子, and sport, where events are labelled 男子 and 女子 rather than men's and women's.
In conversation it sounds stiff and slightly official. Talking about your neighbour or a bloke in the pub, use 男人 (nán rén) or 男的 (nán de). Reach for 男子 when the register is a police bulletin or a scoreboard.
The trap is the 子 ending. It is not the 子 of 孩子 or 桌子, a neutral-tone noun suffix; here it is a full third tone, nán zǐ, and it carries meaning. Say it toneless and you will sound as though you are reaching for a word you half remember.
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男子: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "男子" (man, male (formal)): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 49.