妇女 fùnǚ woman
How to remember 妇女: 妇 married woman + 女 woman = woman.
Characters
How it is used
- Adult women as a collective, in official/formal register: 妇女权益 (fùnǚ quányì) women's rights, 三八妇女节 Women's Day.
- Contrast 女人 (nǚrén, everyday "woman") and 女性 (nǚxìng, "female" as a demographic in writing).
- Sounds institutional; you wouldn't call one specific woman 妇女 in casual talk.
Example sentences
- 在沙特阿拉伯妇女不允许开车。 Zài shātèālābó fùnǚ bù yǔnxǔ kāichē.Women are not permitted to drive cars in Saudi Arabia.