gū niang
girl
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这个姑娘很漂亮。
Zhège gūniang hěn piàoliang.
This girl is very beautiful.
那个姑娘在唱歌。
Nàge gūniang zài chànggē.
That girl is singing.
这个姑娘在跳舞。
Zhège gūniang zài tiàowǔ.
This girl is dancing.
小伙子 (xiǎohuǒzi)
lad
男孩 (nánhái)
boy
The Chinese word 姑娘 (gūniang) for "young woman" or "girl" is composed of two characters: 姑 (gū) and 娘 (niáng). The character 姑 originally meant "older sister" or "aunt" and was used as a respectful form of address for young women. Over time, it came to be used more generally for any young woman, regardless of her relationship to the speaker. The character 娘 originally meant "mother" or "female" and was also used as a term of endearment for young girls. When combined, the two characters 姑 and 娘 create the word 姑娘, which specifically refers to a young woman who is unmarried.
