Singaporean Mandarin Database

This database contains a collection of Mandarin terms which have cultural, historical or sentimental value unique to Singapore. These terms may be used by Singaporeans in the past or at present. Some of the terms are read in print while others are used in our everyday conversations.

hóng

tóu

jīn

Samsui women (red headscarf)

Culture

文化

Culture

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Samsui women (red headscarf)

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Culture

文化

Culture

释义

名词

早年在建筑工地工作的妇女。她们多戴红色头巾,因而得名。

DEFINITION

Noun

Women who worked on construction sites in the mid-20th century. They usually wore a red headscarf, hence their name in Mandarin.

由来
  • 这些早期为新加坡立下汗马功劳的妇女,大多来自广东省三水一带。1934到1938年之间,有大约190,000名女性从中国南下马来亚,当中好些随着移民浪潮来到新加坡。
  • 为了谋生,部分女性当起建筑工人,工作时会使用红布作头巾,其中一个说法是红头巾是客家女性的传统头饰,三水女性与客家女性一起工作的时候,也渐渐戴上红头巾。红头巾因此成为这群劳动妇女的象征,她们是新加坡历史重要的一部分。

ETYMOLOGY
  • These hardworking women, who hailed mostly from the Samsui region in Guangzhou, contributed significantly to laying a solid foundation for Singapore’s growth. Between 1934 and 1938 alone, around 190,000 women from China came to Malaya. A large number of them found their way to Singapore.
  • To earn a living, some of the women started working on construction sites, and began donning red headscarves. One explanation is that the Samsui women were working alongside Hakka women, for whom the red headscarf is a traditional headdress. The red headscarf has become an important symbol of the Samsui women, and an important part of Singapore’s history.

例句
五个平凡国人的人物故事昨晚通过原创短片的形式贯穿了国庆庆典全场,其中的82岁红头巾婆婆胡润心也亲自到场观看庆典。(《联合晚报》10/8/2018)
SAMPLE SENTENCE
The original short film featuring the stories of five ordinary Singaporeans was aired at the National Day Parade last night. Among those featured in the film is 82-year-old Madam Woo Yun Sum, a former Samsui woman, who was there to watch the parade. (Lianhe Wanbao, 10/8/2018)
参考资料
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