Meaning:

    “女” means “female,” and “汉子” means a “real man.” This term, coined by Chinese netizens, is paradoxical, since a female cannot be a real man. However, the term has become popular referring to girls who are independent, candid and dressed in a neutral style. A hot post on Sina Weibo has listed 20 descriptions that befit those who can be called a “male-version girl.” The list includes behaviors like changing water bottles on a dispenser by oneself, ordering large shares while dining with the opposite sex, and seldom putting on makeup or posting selfies.

    Example:

    A: 你妹妹有男朋友吗？

    Nǐ mèimèi yǒu nánpéngyǒu ma?

    Does your younger sister have a boyfriend?

    B: 没有，不过跟她要好的男性朋友不少。

    Méiyǒu, búguò gēn tā yàohǎo de nánxìng péngyǒu bùshǎo。

    No, but she has many good friends who are male.

    A: 她还和以前一样大大咧咧不修边幅吗？

    Tā hái hé yǐqián yīyàng dàdà-liēliē bùxíu-biānfú ma?

    Is she the same girl who was careless and casual and didn’t pay much attention to her looks?

    B: 是啊，她就是个标准版女汉子，热爱边吃零食边打游戏，永远穿着牛仔裤和T恤衫。

    Shì a, tā jìushì gè biāozhǔn bǎn nǚhànzi, rè’ài biān chī língshí biān dǎ yóuxì, yǒngyuǎn chuān zhe níuzǎikù hé tìxùshān。

    Yes, she is a typical “male-version girl.” She loves playing computer games while munching on snacks, always dressed in jeans and tee.