重男轻女
zhòng nán qīng nǚ
to value sons more than daughters
Character by character
重zhòng
value
value
男nán
men
men
轻qīng
slight
slight
女nǚ
women
women
Example
这家人重男轻女，有好吃的总是先给儿子，女儿只能吃剩下的。
That family puts sons first: any treat goes to the boy, and the girl gets what is left.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
Mostly of families preferring sons, and so of schooling, inheritance and the imbalance of boys to girls at birth: 重男轻女的思想／观念. Its answering slogan is 生男生女都一样 (lesson 2-17).
Learn this in Lesson 50 · HSK 5–6: 半边天 (Women hold up half the sky)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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