China’s secret, female-only language

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Nushu is a centuries-old script used by Chinese women who were barred from formal education. This secret, female-only language, created in a small village in Hunan province, was once known to only a small number of women in central China. But nushu has since seen a resurgence, as a form of resistance against traditional patriarchy.
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[@clayhamilton3551]

“Women are forbidden from reading.” “We will invent our own writing system that men can’t read.”

[@user-nf9yr8od9k]

I just want to point out there is a misconception of Nüshu as a language---No. It is actually only a script used to render (a regional variety of) the Chinese language, in parallel with Hanzi.

[@一玉]

yes! as a chinese i find it exhausting explaining to people the difference between a writing system and a spoken language. and how we have many dialects not to be all called “chinese” when people refer to mandarin.

[@YeahImRose]

Glad your comment was at the top, when I saw 永 on their pad and script beneath it I understood what was going on and glad you're here to say so, woulda had to go and look it up :D

[@dragunityx12]

​@@一玉No foreigner deserves to know since they will never try to appreciate it nor respect us. Here in the US, everybody's an ignorant bigot brainwashed by the Anglo Judeo world order

[@uamsnof]

Yes, language =/= writing

[@Sleipnirseight]

For thousands of years, women all around the world have been treated as sla'ves and property. Education is the first step towards liberation and independence. The women who created this script were powerful and had great perseverance.

[@princessthyemis]

It breaks my heart every time when I think of how women were treated in the past!!!😢

[@BadCr0w]

When there’s a will there’s a way, this is so incredibly cool.

[@jpgunman0708]

Nvshu(female-only word) is a Chinese dialect syllabic phonetic script specially used by Jiangyong Nushu in Hunan Province. Nvshu works are written on refined cloth handwritten book (wedding gift), fan, cloth, paper, respectively called "three dynasties book", "song fan", "Pa book" and "paper text". Some are embroidered on the patch, called "embroider word". Here women have the habit of singing hall, often gather together, while doing needlework, while singing, reading, teaching nvshu. The activities of women singing and learning female books are called "reading paper", "reading fan" and "reading Pa", forming a unique female book culture. In the study of anthropology, Bian Xianghe proposed that Jiangyong Nvshu is the only character in the world that exists specifically for women. It was born in the Han Dynasty and is another form of expression of Chinese characters, which will provide a new window for the understanding and understanding of Chinese culture. When Bian Xiangwa discussed Japanese katakana with the famous Japanese Chinese cultural scientist Toki Sawa, he believed that Japanese katakana had the shadow of Chinese Nvshu. On May 20, 2006, "Jiangyong Nvshu" was approved by The State Council and included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage.

[@lyhthegreat]

This is similar to the hiragana in japanese whereby back then only men were allowed to use kanji.

[@squid5882]

Actually katakana for men

[@TomiThemself]

Whaa? A genuine fun-fact that no-one teaches? They should teach this more - this is cool!

[@user-wx1uj4lw1c]

​@@squid5882there are several versions about origin of Katakana

[@oishibaking]

Yes, but in Japanese, men knows both just don’t use it. For nushu only women are allowed to know this

[@jmiquelmb]

Kana were known by both men and female. Kanji and the Chinese language were reserved to men, as politics and other topics. Women wrote in Japanese and only using kana. The tale of genji, probably the most important piece of Japanese literature, was written by a woman using only kana.

[@Mad.E]

why am I getting emotional That's really a beautiful example of self-empowerment

[@ozone8897]

It's a script, not a language

[@captives6479]

It's a secret code for discontent women, not a script.

[@chesobriahismail6752]

@@captives6479 it is a script,because it is use in the masses and seems to be culturally significant,if it’s not a script than any other script except the latin script is a code for the English language Because I can use the other scripts for writing English

[@chesobriahismail6752]

@@captives6479 besides,it even changed into a syllabary It also seems to evolved naturally and believe me scripts do change and evolve

[@speicaldark]

it's a written language.

[@PeoplecallmeLucifer]

@@speicaldark it's a writing system, a script developed for the language spoken in the region it was invented it

[@sosotik]

time and time again i am impressed by some commenters (who already have left their mark on multiple other videos from SCMP) and their dedication to just mock things covered by this channel nushu is kind of cool though

[@priskruger314]

Report them. People need to learn as well as adhere to netiquette.

[@Alternatives_Universum]

It is a writing system. Not a language obviously.

[@jzeng2022]

作为中国人几十年了，还是第一次听说有“女书”，专门女性的文字。

[@toddli5272]

I think that's the point

[@stephanielim5544]

i heard of it before, and i'm not even chinese. or i mean my grandfather was, but i did not grew up in china.

[@user-yw5wf6kz5t]

当年很红的电影“雪花扇“就是以女书为背景拍摄的。

[@dawnexplain3128]

It’s a very niche script. I think it was predominantly used by an women of a ethnic minority in a fairly small area in the south.

[@stephanieyee9784]

Unless you are female and from a certain area in China you Wouldn't know about it.

[@mapletibits6372]

Oh I know about this one, I think there was a movie which the female protagonists, one of them played by Li Bingbing, communicated using this writing system.

[@stephanielim5544]

you mean Fan Bingbing

[@mapletibits6372]

@@stephanielim5544 No the Li Bingbing who played Ada Wong in Resident Evil.

[@stephanielim5544]

@@mapletibits6372 ahhhh I see

[@sebastonix]

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

[@Honeycomb-fj3kr]

Yes, that's where I first learned about this, from that book

[@SouthChinaMorningPost]

Read more on this: sc.mp/75ep6

[@greekre]

the west cant even define what a woman is

[@user-yy2ce7jo8s]

這只是文字 不是語言 他們說的話仍然一樣

[@liuzh1han]

应该是翻译的错误

[@PeoplecallmeLucifer]

yes but "female only language" will get more clicks than "female only writing system" It's silly but that's how media houses work

[@ccmutb]

Nushu is like the real version of movie SNOW FLOWER AND SECRET FAN. Cool.

[@akdlg9sjjslk8]

Oh my goodness, I remember watching this movie when I was younger and have been trying my darnest trying to remember the name for years. I can’t believe I found it by reading your comment. THANK YOU.

[@ccmutb]

@@akdlg9sjjslk8 😂

[@Sjalabais]

Such a beautiful script.

[@yoongles6435]

The characters of this language look really pretty as well, as if they carry that 'feminine energy'

[@mdzeeshanansari7721]

feminine energy is scam

[@classicalsheetmusic1986]

Yeah it's cool, but nüshu isn't a language, it's just a different script for writing Chinese Characters.

[@wjgthatsit2357]

Duolingo wants to know your location

[@saralin1125]

This is SO Freaking cool. In a patriarchal society that shames you for being literally bearing male heirs, this is something I am so glad hasn't been lost to the generations/times. Once I am HSK level in my reading and writing for Simplified AND Traditional Chinese I really wanna try learning this one day

[@harrok38]

Thank you for this. I had no idea, but will look into this more deeply.

[@VelvetRed-rz8ur]

Women really had suffered a lot in hands of patriarchal societies for centuries.. and still do..

[@tablespoon1277]

Oh really? Tell me more…

[@cliptonic69]

clearly not anymore infact they torment man more nowadays

[@sanneoi6323]

Patriarchal societies are what work and it's not suffering I'm pretty happy actually

[@sanneoi6323]

​@@cliptonic69LGBTQ ideology does that, over here we do not have it. We are all happy, our society prospers and those who go against our fundamental values all perish.

[@VelvetRed-rz8ur]

@@cliptonic69 who? where? Men are the ones bullying each other, calling each other betas and playing his ego wars.. I’d never seen women harassing men ever.. however women still are getting assaulted and harassed on daily basis. Men hurt women and children.. and other “weaker” men..

[@suhnih4076]

Based af, even if it's no longer necessary.

[@gthreesix]

Interesting, I did not know this was a thing.

[@viclorenzo5016]

That's actually very cool.

[@elizabethmacpherson0989]

I would love to learn this 🥰 . Looks beautiful

[@MariarsClara]

❤ that's so amazing, now i want to learn it too

[@notpillow6759]

@@MariarsClara you might wanna learn the language first then you can learn the script

[@celiaescalante]

I over heard this growing up. I did not know. I thought they meant that in China Cantonese was spoken by men and Mandarin was spoken by woman.

[@priskruger314]

Lol I like your thinking

[@NataliaPunko]

Anybody here after reading the Stormlight Archive?

[@commpisto5948]

I didnt come here specifically because of that, but yeah. I woneer if Brandon Sanderson was inspired by Nushu

[@seekthuth2817]

I'm gonna learn this script to further push the patriarchy.

[@notpillow6759]

As a guy I'm gonna make sure to learn this script so you don't make a difference

[@oakmaiden2133]

@@notpillow6759 lol, your learning something doesn’t erase another person. Sad for you though.

[@Finland-od7gb]

@@oakmaiden2133this is such a cringeass mentality from both of you

[@notpillow6759]

@@oakmaiden2133 it does though it's supposed to be a female only language, and by a male learning it then exclusivity is lost.

[@TomiThemself]

Where can we find Xu's book?

[@princessthyemis]

This is fascinating to hear about and I'm so glad that they did it.But hearing it's called the script of tears is so sad! I am so glad that it is preserved and being learned about and I hope that more people continue to learn about it and use it so it doesn't die out!!!

[@gemini1123]

Reading and writing… more like scheming and dying. We need to go back to growing our own food stat. Forget ‘formal education’.

[@lillygirl7238]

Just finished a book by Lisa See about nushu. Such a hard life for them. 😔

[@philoctetes_wordsworth]

Remarkable, poignant, and wonderful. Thank you for this story.

[@erikad0511]

So cool that they're trying to keep the language going....

[@lyhthegreat]

It's a reminder of how poorly women were treated in china..

[@Alternatives_Universum]

Mandarin is the most spoken native tongue on the planet. So there is no need to try to keep the language going. Its going pretty well already. Language is what you speak. Writing system is what you write.

[@erikad0511]

@@Alternatives_Universum well the ladies in this video think it's pretty important so take your beef up with them

[@isaackellogg3493]

0:18 Literacy, uh…finds a way

[@aka-bo6ej]

This is absurd, you made a video about a script, a written language without a single word mentioning the spoken language that uses it, Xiangnan Tuhua. It's a script derived from Chinese characters to write a Chinese language, so there are tons of one-to-one correspondences, but it's not for all Chinese languages, its phonetics just doesn't work everywhere. Many only care about the script but not the language, and that's arrogant.

[@EmilyF72]

一次都么有听过‘女书’

[@priskruger314]

I dont think its as beautiful as regular characters. Its beautiful in itself but regular characters are more beautiful to me.

[@gigirys9948]

❤ very important to pass traditional ways less we forget, the tears and struggle's of the world.

[@WinnieAmos05]

Dope 🔥

[@georgeeagle872]

Nushu, which literally means womens language, originated in western Hunan Province (湘西). It was created by women and used only by women. It's unique in China (maybe in the world?). Unfotunately, only a handful of people left can write and communicate in Nushu nowadays

[@Maya-sv1pz]

Afghanistan needs to see this

[@kristine6996]

WoW how clever and resilient we are 🤝👗💐.

[@dave6892]

Why are you putting western classical music for a traditional Chinese related documentary?

[@gummynoodles9036]

Why not?

[@rg_888]

It's funny. If a Western TV production always used traditional Chinese music when discussing something China-related, they might get the opposite complaints: "Why do you always use stereotypical music when discussing Asian people? You wouldn't use that music when talking about a white or black person." Just goes to show... some people will always **search for a reason** to be offended.

[@kairinase]

Maybe you can cross check this with the Voynich manuscript, see if it works for deciphering the language.

[@loszhor]

Both interesting and sad. :

[@dannygjk]

I can't focus on two different types of mental tasks at the same time here it's music and the other is non-muaic.

[@andrewyoonhobai8453]

how is it possible these women are double exxtraordinary, its outrageous unfair how can you be a grandmastr and not be a wahmen

[@katharinabecker752]

A western violin as background music?

[@blessingsoutlaw]

Fascinating…!!

[@insho.]

this is sooooo cool

[@clankb2o5]

I almost wrote a term paper on this in university but my teacher told me my idea was unfeasible... It's a shame, I probably would have been able to say something really cool about it in a youtube comment if I had done some research on it :^)

[@JettoGospel]

Oh allnthe sheng nu gonna learn that script now.

[@danielbarratt405]

Not very secret anymore

[@hardadouzakariae9540]

I think like this Hiragana has appeared.

[@heian17]

That's true. Both hiragana and nvshu are just simplified handwriting of Chinese characters

[@hardadouzakariae9540]

@@heian17 Also both of them were designed for women

[@xynt8195]

Boys language: B r o! D u d e!

[@melody3741]

Sounds similar to the story of hiragana

[@pwelele]

When you thought mandarin was tough to learn... here get a taste of my nushu 🤦🤣

[@janewen7131]

Both of my grandma's went to school to learn to read and write their parents didn't follow this trandation it wasn't very common for someone of their generation to go to school🏫👵👵

[@REMdonor]

beautiful

[@Megumu_Iizunamaru.]

In US they called it feminist

[@pattmahiney]

Who nu..... shu

[@captives6479]

It's a secret code for discontent women, not a language.

[@Amen7801]

amazing

[@pboonsiri6317]

Some Thailand does bad so they make Thailand people don't like China now. Orn Lee, Orn boonsiri

[@doggosan2839]

What happens if a man learns how to read the script?

[@Alakazam_an_Azalea]

Whenever a man comes to the conclusion to read nushu, their individual atoms split apart keeping the script 100% guy free.

[@jeffreysetapak]

女書？？

[@heian17]

对啊

[@user-ht3dv3tt6x]

No wonder I can't understand my wife. She's using the secret female language.

[@user-wk2my7rd6m]

以bism alrahman alrahim kukat hrwin fi kilimtizur sayaaratan shahinat waklimtazur ha'it bialafiun shaykhatan hubaha barsha min 突尼西亞alsabe w 的名義阿庫利·巴拉德·伊利哈·巴瓦基爾·利朱努達姆瓦基爾 Yǐ bism alrahman alrahim kukat hrwin fi kilimtizur sayaaratan shahinat waklimtazur ha'it bialafiun shaykhatan hubaha barsha min tú ní xī yà alsabe w de míngyì ā kù lì·bā lā dé·yīlì hā·bā wǎ jī ěr·lì zhūnǔdá mǔ wǎ jī ěr

[@vsalasarcr]

Greetings. Fantastic, I just hope that feminism in Asia does not become what a sector of Western feminism has become: radical and meaningless.

[@azorac7188]

文字本身没啥毛病 但有人要拿这玩意搞男女对立来打拳那是真的纯纯初生

[@zebraimage]

我作为一个男的很想问一下你，你觉得现代社会已经达成一个完美的男女平等的状态了吗？如果没有的话，那么“对立”是一种客观存在的事实，不是被人“搞”出来的，而是被“指”出来的，point out, 指出来，让更多人意识到这个事实存在，才有“可能”解决问题。难道大家都闭口不谈，问题就不存在了吗？

[@jthele]

Not a secret no more

[@ankowat6775]

Lots of small pp energy in the comment section

[@ianchrist4892]

shabi

[@nik56mh6]

the message it brings forward is correct but the reason is childish a mere script can't change reality it can only warp it's perception bring concrete changes if you really want to change society.

[@Hkchinese888]

Lol, the secret well kept that no one knows. 🤣🤣🤣

[@darth.severuss]

Your gf standing next to me

[@Hkchinese888]

@@darth.severuss I hv no gf

[@darth.severuss]

@@Hkchinese888 how sad

[@Devildemon74]

Thank you for the comment, go collect 2 rupees

[@Hkchinese888]

@@Devildemon74 dllm, we use Yuan, dalit

[@eyaswoo1483]

女拳狂喜

[@kurigaru]

Yeessssss

[@kittyflier8338]

Hiragana

[@SpikeOuu]

No

[@walters8748]

.

[@cmikhail7289]

so Japanese really had their origins back to China

[@AlexLee-je5jg]

Show it to the west and those feminists, karens and karls will not stop talking disregarding its history

[@mdzeeshanansari7721]

no it is just a script not language. women should stop playing victim card or women card

[@Internalview44]

Till now their life havenot changed poor souls i am sorry for them

[@darth.severuss]

I feel sorry for Endia no Gold. Largest population in the world

[@FMFvideos]

yes women like new shoe

[@IronMan-u2m]

what Fing language 😂😂

[@ToiChutGongWu]

Say hello to the PHP Peso paid bot farm for me, CardboardMan

[@wynn3077]

@@ToiChutGongWu Is that like the Bannerman who was protesting in Beijing . They closed down social media just because they were afraid of him.😂

[@aarcoh]

EXCELLENT VIDEO. THIS WILL ALLOW WOMEN IN CHINA TO MORE EFFECTIVELY PRAISE THE BOLD AND VISIONARY LEADERSHIP OF XI JINPING

[@chenwastaken]

troll

[@carolinaterri3569]

Hello, CCP. 🤡

[@yizhenliu-qi8uu]

Even I have to shun your comment, as a native Chinese person.

[@Hkchinese888]

I love granny peny

[@wynn3077]

Did his first wife use the female only language.

[@thejackluo]

first

[@melvinhuang2911]

women secretly hate each other

[@zhisu2665]

no

[@anjarasch8332]

yes, but really not so secretly ;-)

[@TheDefpunkjake]

I demand Man language!

[@Alakazam_an_Azalea]

If men ever get denied education im sure there would be man language.

[@ahodanalin]

太闲了

[@leonpse]

Never had Chinese women being deferential. Usually, always complaining, yelling, screaming, demanding, and never happy about anything, and want you do work 24x7.

[@kleec495]

Ironically Chinese character for Women is more elegant than the one in Nvshu.

[@FloofyTanker]

Average TERF language:

[@rg_888]

This might be the dumbest comment I've seen this year, and I don't throw around words like that lightly. Do you even know what the word TERF means? The fact that it centers around the issue of transgender people--which has absolutely nothing to do with anything mentioned here, and the very concept of which didn't even exist in China at the time?

[@elizabethmacpherson0989]

You’re right, it’s empowering to women and gorgeous to look at 🥰

[@himalayansalt32]

You say it as being TERF is an insult, go cry about it, incel

[@Koala-jj7go]

What hardships. Staying at home whilst the men worked hard to provide food and shelter whilst they constantly nag 😂

[@st.altair4936]

A significant part of the hardship is probably "men" like you lol

[@heian17]

In feudal China, Han Chinese women were forced to bind their feet from a very young age (about 4-5 years old), which made their feet completely deformed. You could search Google "Chinese binding feet" to see how their feet belike. After that painful process, those women could not even walk normally, so they could not work outdoor, of course. Fortunately, this evil custom has never been exported to other Asian countries.

[@IronMan-u2m]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@Devildemon74]

Thank you for the comment, go collect 2 rupees

[@lokaskarak3442]

Don t worry. The Christians have provided education for all the people in China including girls. Christians have provided healthcare for the women too.

[@G0ML666]

script of tears is about right. What will women do if they can't complain

[@IronMan-u2m]

Like Corona🤡

[@SpikeOuu]

What’s wrong with you🤡

[@IronMan-u2m]

@@SpikeOuu whats wrong with you chick?

[@SpikeOuu]

@@IronMan-u2m What’s wrong with your eyes? Like COVID-19? Are you blind?

[@sfkdsxzjkcfjldskaf99sddf809sdf]

Let's get you your meds and get you back to the nursing home grandpa

[@Devildemon74]

Thank you for the comment, go collect 2 rupees

[@williamtj21]

Useless garbage knowledge

[@ToiChutGongWu]

Say hello to your PHP Peso paying bot farm for me.

[@wynn3077]

@@ToiChutGongWu Guidelines grumpy.

[@Hkchinese888]

@@ToiChutGongWu Find a job

[@ToiChutGongWu]

@@Hkchinese888 Really? Oh, I am surprised you are not telling me my mother works on the corner of Portland Street. Or one of the following: that I am working for a Front Organisation. Or that my “mother” works in a massage parlour in Shanghai and my “father” works in a scam call centre in North Myanmar. Also, that my “father” is scamming in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Don't forget "community guidelines".

[@Hkchinese888]

@@ToiChutGongWu That is why you should find a job, se7en