闺女 guīnü maiden
maiden; unmarried woman; (colloquial) daughter
How to remember 闺女: 闺 women's quarters + 女 woman = maiden.
Characters
How it is used
- Colloquial, affectionate word for one's daughter - 这是我闺女 (zhè shì wǒ guīnü) this is my daughter.
- Warmer and more northern/folksy than the neutral 女儿; parents use it fondly.
- The older literary sense is 'unmarried young woman/maiden', but in modern speech 'daughter' dominates.