How to Write 孀 (shuāng) — Meaning “Widow”

Imagine a widow (女) standing alone in a cold, frosty (霜) morning, feeling isolated. The combination of 'woman' and 'frost' visually reminds you that she is like frost—still, silent, and left behind after loss.

This character has 20 strokes, with the left side 女 slightly narrower and tilted, while the right side 霜 is taller. Pay special attention to the bottom part of 霜: it has 目 and then 木, not 田—a common mistake is writing 霜's lower half as 田 instead of 目 above 木.

孀妇 (shuāng fù) directly means 'widow,' used in formal or literary contexts. 守孀 (shǒu shuāng) means 'to remain a widow,' often referring to a woman who chooses not to remarry after her husband's death, a traditional practice in old China.

孀 is rarely used in everyday conversation; it appears mostly in written, historical, or legal texts discussing marital status. Culturally, it carries a solemn and traditional tone, as widowhood in older Chinese society was often associated with strict moral expectations, like loyalty to the deceased husband.

Common words containing 孀 include: 孀妇 (shuāng fù) — Widow; 孤孀 (gū shuāng) — widow; 守孀 (shǒu shuāng) — To remain a widow..