老姑娘

lǎogūniang

noun #29,256

Meanings

1 old maid; spinster; unmarried older woman
2 (colloquial) woman who remains single past the conventional marriage age

Characters

woman; mother; girl

Examples

村里人背后叫她老姑娘，她不在乎。

Cūn lǐ rén bèihòu jiào tā lǎogūniang, tā bù zàihu.

People in the village called her an old maid behind her back, but she didn't care.

现代社会里，独身的女性不该被叫作老姑娘。

Xiàndài shèhuì lǐ, dúshēn de nǚxìng bù gāi bèi jiào zuò lǎogūniang.

In modern society, single women should not be called spinsters.

Tips

register

老姑娘 is a colloquial and often derogatory term for an unmarried older woman. It reflects traditional social pressure to marry young. Modern speakers generally avoid it as disrespectful; 单身女性 (dānshēn nǚxìng) is the neutral alternative.

Stroke Order

老 lǎo

姑 gū

娘 niáng