Definition
巧妇 literally means 'skillful woman' but in context refers to a capable housewife or home-maker who manages the household with skill and resourcefulness. It is culturally loaded because it often appears in the idiom 巧妇难为无米之炊 ('even a clever housewife can't cook without rice'), meaning that without basic resources, even the most competent person cannot produce results. The word itself is not pejorative but implies praise for household management.
n.
a capable housewifea good homemaker
Examples
- 巧妇，。Tā zhēnshi ge qiǎo fù, yí ge rén jiù bǎ quánjiā zhàogù de fēicháng hǎo.She is really a capable housewife; she takes care of the whole family very well all by herself.
- 巧妇，。qiǎo fù nán wéi wú mǐ zhī chuī, méiyǒu zījīn xiàngmù jiù zuò bù qǐlái.Even a clever housewife can't cook without rice — without funding, the project can't get off the ground.
- 巧妇，。Línjūmen dōu kuā tā shì ge qiǎo fù, jiā lǐ zǒngshì gān gān jìng jìng de.The neighbors all praise her as a good homemaker; her home is always spotless.
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