Why Don’t Girls in China Like to Be Called Be autiful?

We all know those girls who have a hard time taking a compliment. Well, in China, there are lots of girls who don’t like to be called a "美女 (měinǚ) beauty."

美女 (měinǚ): n. beautiful woman; beauty.

But why?
In recent years, the appellation "美女 (měinǚ)" has been used overly by people in China. Before its overuse, we would use "美女 (měinǚ)" to refer to a beautiful girl. But nowadays, whether beautiful or not, people use "美女 (měinǚ)" to call all young women in China beautiful.

In general, people in China use this word to express respect, affection, endearment or to flatter the woman.

It has ended up that this word has accumulated so many different meanings, it is used a LOT. I joke all the time with my friends and students: In China, all women are a "美女 (měinǚ) beauty". This is where women in China get a little frustrated: If all women are considered beautiful, then does that word really have any meaning? Is there any real measurement of beauty? To us, it feels as if there is no real beauty at all.

So you can understand why girls don’t like people to call them "美女 (měinǚ))."

Be Careful! If Your Compliments Are Too Direct, We May Think They Are Lies!

Most Chinese girls give off a vibe that is shy and restrained. They tend to not give compliments, especially men, in any direct or open-hearted way. Vice versa, they get nervous when receiving exaggerated or direct compliments such as, "你好漂亮 (nǐ hǎo piàoliàng) you are so beautiful!" or "你真美 (nǐ zhēn měi) you are very pretty!"

An essential part of learning Chinese, or any other foreign language, is to follow the popular slang of contemporary life. Much of this I have learned by watching popular Chinese dramas and comedy shows, just as many Chinese people learned English slang through watching Friends. One spoken term I heard on TV and asked my Chinese teacher about is "电灯泡 (diàndēngpào)". My teacher explained to the class what this popular expression means and today I’ll share the meaning with you!

In short, "电灯泡 (diàndēngpào)" means "third wheel". Or, a friend who gets in the way of two lovers on a date or romantic situation. The origin of the term, which comes from Cantonese, doesn’t translate to "third wheel", oddly enough it translates to a "light bulb".

The popular, everyday phrase "电灯泡 (diàndēngpào)" comes from an old Cantonese saying:
电灯胆 - 唔通气 = electric light – no ventilation.

电灯胆 = 电灯泡 (diàndēngpào) = bulb;
唔通气 = 不通气 (bù tōng qì).
"电灯泡 (diàn dēng pào) bulb", is a vacuum object. Air cannot go through it.

Quiz:

A. Your best friends from college get together to see a movie and have dinner.
B. You go on a "double date" with your girlfriend, your best friend, and his girlfriend.
C. Your friend sets you up on a "blind date".
D. You ask to join your sister and her fiancée’s romantic dinner.
See Answer