三十八

sānshíbā
number #30,865

Meanings

  1. 1 thirty-eight, 38
  2. 2 (Taiwanese slang, derogatory) silly/flighty woman; airhead — written 三八

Examples

Jīnnián wǒ sānshíbā suì.
I'm thirty-eight this year.
Sān yuè bā rì shì Guójì Fùnǚjié.
March 8th is International Women's Day.

Tips

culture
Two-character 三八 sānbā has a famous double life: it's the date of International Women's Day (三八, March 8) yet in Taiwanese / southern slang it's an insult for a flighty woman. The full three-character 三十八 simply means '38' and avoids the slang reading.
register
三八 sānbā shì also refers to the Japanese Type 38 Arisaka rifle, ubiquitous in Chinese WWII films — '三八' is the standard nickname.

Stroke Order

sān
shí