Leftover Women - A Special Group in China

In China, there is a group of people. They have passed what is considered by the society the proper age for a marriage. Most of them have a high degree of education, a descent income and a good appearance, yet most of them are not married by their late 20s or early 30s. These people are called “剩女(shènɡ nǚ)”in China.

剩女 - a special group of people in China

This is a very interesting word to learn because it has been one of the most popular Chinese words in modern China. This Chinese word has two Chinese characters - “剩”and “女”. We may regard “剩” as a short form for “剩下的” which means “what is left” or “the rest of something”. For example: 剩下的人 means "the rest of the people". 他不喜欢吃剩饭 means "He doesn’t like leftovers". “女” means “ladies” or “women” in Chinese. So the word “剩女” means “leftover ladies” or “leftover women” in Chinese language.

Leftover ladies are well-educated, well-paid and independent and they are also called “3S Ladies”- Single, Seventies (most of them are born in 1970s) and Stuck. Leftover ladies in China are unmarried not because they are ugly or under privileged. In fact, almost all of them are all excellent in terms of appearance, education background and income. The theory is that because these people "have it all," they expect it all. They are too picky. They are intolerable to any "imperfections" in a potential partner.

Most leftover women are “white collars” living in big cities of China, as young ladies in rural areas usually get married when they are around 20 years old. A survey estimates that the number of leftover ladies in Beijing has surpassed 500,000 by 2013. These women choose career as their top priority and consider single life over marriage and family, which reveals an individualistic trend over family values.

There is a very interesting saying in China: The stereotype of a successful man with a normal woman still dominates many people’s minds. The formula is: A man of A finds a woman of B as his wife. A man of B finds a Woman of C as his wife. Thus, the women of A are left. Modern society provides Chinese women with more opportunities than their mothers’ generation. While they are working hard and pursuing personal value, they suddenly realize that they have become part of a group that men may not want to marry. The solution may be simple and effective. Miss Right might get out of their imaginary perfection. Once this is realized, a leftover lady is more likely to find her Mr. Right.

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