Recently I came across a very interesting article. Apparently, unmarried female who are older than 27 are labeled as ‘leftover women’ in China. Leftover? That’s a harsh word to use.
As we always do, let’s learn how to say the phrase in Chinese language:
剩女 (shèngnǚ): leftover women
I normally use the word leftover when referring to food. So let’s learn how to say that as well:
剩菜 (shèng cài): leftovers
剩饭 (shèng fàn): leftovers
And below is a sentence showing a general use of 剩 (shèng):
还剩多少？
Hái shèng duōshǎo?
How much is leftover?
Interesting tidbits of information that I'd never have thought of myself! I knew 剩 meant "surplus" but would not have guessed it would be applied to women...
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog through China Blog Network - I'll be checking back in!
I agree, I would have never thought to apply it to women as well. Thanks for checking the blog and leaving a comment.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good blog with interesting and in this case more entertaining posts. It sounds very funny but on the other hand very discriminating. To be honest I think women over 27 are not "leftovers". It's not a matter of age it's about how you feel, act and admittedly also how you look. But it is good to know the different meanings of the Chinese symbols. That's what it often makes it difficult to translate something correctly if you are not a native. So if you need a Chinese translation commission a professional translation agency.
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