Zhinü 织女
Zhīnǚ
Two lovers separated by the Milky Way meet once a year on a bridge made by magpies.
- Chinese name
- 织女
- Pinyin
- Zhīnǚ
- Best known for
- 牛郎织女
- Reading level
- HSK 4 recommended
Who is Zhinü?
Zhinü is the Weaver Girl of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl legend. Weaving and separation define her imagery: a skilled celestial woman, a river between lovers, and a hoped-for reunion. Her story is associated with Qixi, the festival on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
From a separated pair to the magpie bridge
Follow the traditional account and the details that distinguish it from later retellings.
The source account
The poem usually called “Far, Far Away, the Cowherd Star,” one of the Nineteen Old Poems, depicts a woman at her loom who cannot complete her weaving. A river separates the pair, and they cannot speak to one another. The poem presents longing without recounting the full plot of a modern folktale.
Reading the details
In familiar later retellings, Zhinü and the Cowherd are separated by the heavenly river and meet on a bridge formed by magpies at Qixi. Our Chinese reading story follows a popular narrative version. Its detailed sequence should not be read as a translation of every early poem mentioning the pair.
Zhinü in Chinese and English
织女 is written 織女 in traditional Chinese. Its pinyin is Zhīnǚ: zhī has a first tone and nǚ a third tone. “Weaver Girl” is the usual English rendering; Zhinü and Zhinu are romanized spellings. The ü in nǚ represents a different vowel from u.
牛郎织女 (Niúláng Zhīnǚ) names the pair: the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. 鹊桥 (quèqiáo) means “magpie bridge,” and 七夕 (Qīxī) is the festival name. Keeping these three expressions separate helps distinguish the people, the bridge, and the occasion.
Qixi is also about skilled hands
Qixi customs include qǐqiǎo (乞巧), asking for skill. Practices such as threading needles connect the festival with fine handwork and Zhinü’s weaving. Romance is an important part of its familiar story, but it does not explain every festival custom.
Zhinü and Chang’e are different figures. Zhinü belongs to the Cowherd and Weaver Girl tradition; Chang’e is associated with reaching the moon. For reading practice, compare the characters’ names, where each story takes place, and what separates the central figures.
Meet Zhinü
in Chinese.
A short excerpt from The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, with character-aligned pinyin.
Long ago, a young cowherd lived alone with only an old ox.
The Weaver Girl came down from heaven and met him beside a river.
从前，年轻的牛郎一个人生活，身边只有一头老牛。
天上的织女来到人间，在河边遇见了他。
Traditional accounts vary across texts and periods. This guide distinguishes its source from later adaptations.
Questions about Zhinü
Names, source traditions, and the details behind the story.
What is 织女 called in English?
织女 is commonly called the Weaver Girl. Her Mandarin name is Zhīnǚ, also written Zhinü or Zhinu in English text.
When do the Cowherd and Weaver Girl meet?
In the familiar Qixi legend, they meet on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, crossing a bridge formed by magpies. This is a lunar-calendar date, not a fixed Gregorian date.
Is the Weaver Girl Chang’e?
No. Zhinü is the Weaver Girl associated with the Cowherd and Qixi. Chang’e is the separate figure associated with the moon and the Mid-Autumn legend.