40 words for wife, 27 words for husband
John
July 04, 2009, 08:15 AM posted in General DiscussionA joke on a Chinese site lists 40 Chinesewords for "wife" and 27 for "husband." Check it out:
http://www.zhangjiang.cn/bbs/2009-7/2/200972173013215100.html
changye
July 04, 2009, 12:33 PMActually there are 26 words (not 27) for husband. One word missing? I see much more "rather unfavorable" titles in "husband" words than in "wife" words, hehe. Let me add "红旗" to the list of "wife".
Wife：1妻子，2老婆，3太太，4夫人，5老伴，6爱人，7内人，8媳妇，9那口子，10拙荆，11贤内助，12对象，13孩他妈，14孩他娘，15 内子，16婆娘，17糟糠，18娃他娘，19崽他娘，20山妻，21贱内，22贱荆，23女人，24马子，25主妇，26女主人，27财政部长，28纪检委，29浑人，30娘子，31屋里的，32另一半，33女当家，34浑家，35发妻，36堂客，37婆姨，38领导，39烧火婆，40黄脸婆
Husband：1，丈夫2，爱人3，那口子4，当家的5，掌柜的6，不正经的7，泼皮8，不争气的9，没出息的10，该死的11，死鬼12，死人13，傻子14，臭不要脸的15，孩子他爹16，孩子他亲爹17，哎18，老公19，猪20，亲爱的21，先生22，官人23，相公24，大人25，挨千刀的26，老伴27
bodawei
July 04, 2009, 01:27 PM@changye
Oh, I see. #27 is the rest of the 'joke' is it? I was construing it as a word for 'husband' meaning someone who still has a lot to learn!! :-)
I am not game to comment on whether the list is biased, that might start an argument we don't need.
lucynguyen1984
July 13, 2009, 08:55 AMhoho, Sometimes I hear they call their wives or husbands are : 行子
lucynguyen1984
July 13, 2009, 09:00 AMhoho, Sometimes I hear they call their wives or husbands are : 行子. Have you ever heard that?
changye
July 13, 2009, 09:38 AMHi lucynguyen1984
Here is the definition of 行子 (hang2zi) in an online Chinese dictionary. Looks like it's a "negative" title both for husbands and for wives. Or, as is often the case, do some people use the word purposely to show affection?
[disliked person or thing]〈方〉∶指不喜欢的人或物
bodawei
July 04, 2009, 11:29 AMGreat list - I see at least some are unisex:
老伴， 爱人，
老师还没下课 。。?! 不明白。 Teacher who has not finished class (learning)..?? Maybe I do get it.