男生
男male生student=male student
男
男 (nán) Chinese Character: male; man
田 over 力 preserves an old picture of strength used in the fields.
Practice 男 in the interactive lessonChinese character story: An Ancient Field-and-Labor Idea
男 (nán) is built from two parts you already know: 田, “field,” and 力, “strength.” That old combination reflects historical work roles, not a rule about people today. Use 男 in 男人, “man,” 男生, “male student,” and 男女, “men and women.”
🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes
Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.
男女
男men or male女women or female=men and women
Chinese character origin and etymology
Traditional character analysis explains 男 as 田, “field,” plus 力, “strength,” reflecting an ancient association between men and field labor. Today the character simply means male, man, or boy.
In modern simplified Chinese, 男 is written with 7 strokes. This lesson separates documented shape history from the memory story so learners do not mistake a mnemonic for a historical claim. 男 contains 田 and 力. These parts act like clues: a component may suggest a meaning category, a pronunciation, or simply preserve part of the character's historical structure.
Chinese character stroke order and structure
男 is written with 7 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.
- 田 — field — part of the traditional work scene
- 力 — strength or labor — completes the historical idea
Common usage and sentence patterns
The examples below show 男 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.
他是男生。
He is a male student.
那个男人是我父亲。
That man is my father.
男女都可以学习。
Men and women can both study.
Learning tips for 男
Learn the reading as one unit: nán, with the second tone: rising. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “male; man,” and write the 7 strokes from memory.
Because 男 contains reusable components, identify those clues before memorizing the whole shape. Compare it with 女 (nǚ, female, woman); 田 (tián, field); 力 (lì, strength). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.
Quick review checklist
- Can you recognize 男 without pinyin?
- Can you say nán with the correct tone and explain “male; man”?
- Can you write all 7 strokes in order?
- Can you use 男 in one short sentence?
Related characters
Learn 男 in a themed collection
Compare this character with related beginner words. A themed path helps you notice useful pairs, word-building patterns, and everyday contexts.
Continue learning Chinese characters
Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.
Sources and editorial note
HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.
Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.