灰姑娘

Huīgūniang

noun #8,814

Meanings

1 Cinderella
2 a Cinderella figure; someone who rises from humble beginnings

Characters

ash; gray; dust

mother; girl; young woman

Ash + girl — the cinder girl, i.e. Cinderella. 姑娘 means 'girl' or 'young woman.'

Examples

灰姑娘是很多孩子最喜欢的童话故事。

Huīgūniang shì hěn duō háizi zuì xǐhuan de tónghuà gùshi.

Cinderella is many children's favorite fairy tale.

她像灰姑娘一样嫁给了王子。

Tā xiàng Huīgūniang yīyàng jià gěi le wángzǐ.

She married a prince just like Cinderella.

这是一个现代版的灰姑娘故事。

Zhè shì yī gè xiàndài bǎn de Huīgūniang gùshi.

This is a modern version of the Cinderella story.

Tips

usage

灰姑娘 is used both as the fairy tale name and as a metaphor for a rags-to-riches transformation: 灰姑娘故事 (Cinderella story). The literal translation 'ash girl' mirrors the original meaning of 'Cinderella' (cinder + ella).

Stroke Order

灰 huī

姑 gū

娘 niáng