Chinese Phrases Used to Describe Strong Women Throughout History

Original Zeus Zou theBeijinger

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#Mandarin Monday

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Following on from International Women's Day (妇女节 fùnǚ jié) this past Sunday, we thought we'd take a deeper look at the origins of legendary female warrior Hua Mulan (花木兰 huā mùlán) and some of the language that can be used to describe the strong women in your life.

As arguably the most recognizable heroine in China, Mulan’s story has been retold throughout the ages, most recently premiering the new live-action version in Hollywood for US release on Mar 27, 22 years after animated version hit screens (with no word yet on when it will eventually show in China).

However, to take a closer look at the real Mulan, where better to start than with her poem debut in "The Poem of Mulan" (木兰辞 mùlán cí), written more than 1,500 years ago. Despite its ancient roots, the story conveys some pretty progressive values and makes for a great way to practice ancient Chinese. You can take a crack at translating the poem in its entirety below.

If you're short on time, here's the lowdown: Mulan, concerned that her elderly father may be called to battle because her younger brother is too young to fight, decides to enlist herself despite protestations from her parents. Mulan manages to survive years of grueling warfare and instead of accepting a promotion from the Emperor to the noble classes, has one single request: a swift horse so that she can ride back home. Mulan’s family come together to greet her, at which point she changes her armor for old dress, much to the surprise of everyone who did not know that the fierce warrior was a woman the whole time. Mulan then teases them by telling them a story about how to discern a rabbit’s gender, all the while relaying some seriously progressive gender awareness for the time (more on that below).

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Rather than get bogged down in transcribing the whole thing, below we've selected five Chinese phrases that celebrate the strength of women throughout the ages.

Phrase: 雄兔脚扑朔，雌兔眼迷离；双兔傍地走，安能辨我是雄雌 xióng tù jiǎo pū shuò, cí tù yǎn mílí; shuāng tù bàng dì zǒu, ān néng biàn wǒ shì xióng cí
Meaning: The male rabbit kick its legs when you grab it by the ears while the female squints. But when they're both running, how can you tell their genders?
Explanation: In "The Poem of Mulan," this is the riddle that Mulan tells her comrades after she has changed back into her regular clothes. It's a clever piece of writing, admitting that differences between men and women may exist but that appearance does not necessarily reflect ability.

Phrase: 谁说女子不如男 shéi shuō nǚzǐ bùrú nán
Meaning: Who said that women can’t compete with men?
Explanation: This line first appeared as a lyric in the Henan opera Hua Mulan, performed by the master of the medium Chang Xiangyu, during an argument Mulan is having about who contributes more to society: men or women.

Phrase: 巾帼不让须眉 jīnguó bù ràng xūméi
Meaning: Women who are as great as men.
Explanation: Here, 巾 jīn and 帼 guó both mean 'headpiece' or 'headband,' usually worn in ancient times and later simply became shorthand for women. Meanwhile, 须眉 xūméi implies 'men' as the two characters mean 'beard' and 'eyebrows,' respectively.

Phrase: 不爱红装爱武装 bù ài hóngzhuāng ài wǔzhuāng
Meaning: Prefer the armor to the dress.
Explanation: This saying was first uttered Mao Zedong in a poem he wrote for the female soldier in the army, expressed his appreciation to these brave and strong women.

Phrase: 妇女能顶半边天 fùnǚ néng dǐng bànbiāntiān
Meaning: Women hold half the sky.
Explanation: Another Maoism, and perhaps one of his most famous, "women hold up half the sky" came at a time when the Great Helmsman was attempting to mobilize women to help build his communist utopia. In the 1950s, women were still largely treated as inferior to their male colleagues, but this one phrase was meant to change all of that, giving women their rightful place in society, and it quickly spread across China.

Phrase: 铿锵玫瑰 kēngqiāng méiguī
Meaning: The tough rose.
Explanation: Best known as the official song of China's female football team, 铿锵 kēngqiāng is an onomatopoeia of the loud and clear sound from striking metal or a drum, while 玫瑰 méiguī means 'rose.' The combination demonstrates how the female team embodies both an unyielding spirit and competitive skill at the same time as beauty and grace.