Meaning
女儿
nǚ ér
Daughter
- 女
- woman, female
- 儿
- child
The everyday word for daughter.
Daughter in Chinese
The Chinese word for daughter is 女儿 (nǚ ér). The everyday word for daughter. In traditional characters it is written 女兒.
女儿
nǚ ér
Daughter
What 女儿 means.
女儿 is the plain word for daughter. 千金, “a thousand pieces of gold”, is the polite, loving term for someone's daughter, the way a proud parent might speak of her.
- 女
- woman, female
- 儿
- child
Simplified and traditional
女儿
女兒
Both are correct and mean the same. Traditional 女兒 keeps the older, fuller shape that calligraphy grew up with; simplified 女儿 is what most Chinese readers use today. Our seal and clerical styles write it in the traditional form.
Pick the shade of meaning.
Chinese often has more than one word where English has one. Here is how they differ.
Meaning
千金
qiān jīn
Precious daughter
- 千
- thousand
- 金
- gold
Literally “a thousand pieces of gold”: an affectionate way to call someone's daughter.
About daughter in Chinese
How do you write daughter in Chinese?
Daughter is 女儿 in Chinese, pronounced nǚ ér. Daughter 女 means “woman, female”, 儿 means “child”.
How do you pronounce 女儿?
Say nǚ (third tone, dipping), ér (second tone, rising). Mandarin tones change meaning, so it is worth listening to a native speaker once.
Is 女儿 different in traditional Chinese?
Yes. The traditional form is 女兒, used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and classical calligraphy; 女儿 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore. Both are correct.
What other Chinese words mean daughter?
千金 (qiān jīn): Precious daughter Literally “a thousand pieces of gold”: an affectionate way to call someone's daughter.
Is 女儿 a good Chinese tattoo?
Yes, it is a real, everyday Chinese word rather than a machine translation, so Chinese readers will understand it. Keep the characters in their order, top to bottom or left to right, and never mirrored. Choose a readable style such as Kaishu, bring a clean reference to your artist, and show it to a fluent reader before your appointment.