大龄剩女

大齡剩女
dàlíngshèngnǚ
noun

Meanings

  1. 1 older unmarried woman
  2. 2 "leftover woman" past marriageable age (derogatory)

Examples

Fùmǔ cuī tā jiéhūn, shuō tā shì dàlíngshèngnǚ le.
Her parents pressured her to marry, calling her a leftover woman.
Hěn duō rén fǎnduì yòng dàlíngshèngnǚ zhè zhǒng shuōfǎ.
Many people object to the term "leftover woman."

Tips

register
Carries strong social-pressure overtones and is widely seen as sexist. The label typically targets unmarried urban women over 27 to 30. The male counterpart exists but is used far less critically.
culture
The term gained prominence around 2007 when the All-China Women's Federation used officially. Feminist pushback since has made the phrase increasingly contested in media.

Stroke Order

líng
shèng