'男女' literally combines the characters 男 (nán, 'man') and 女 (nǚ, 'woman') to form a compound noun meaning 'men and women' — referring collectively to people of all genders, especially in social, public, or institutional contexts. It emphasizes gender inclusivity as a pair rather than individuals, and is commonly used in formal or neutral settings like signs, policies, or demographic descriptions.

This term appears frequently in phrases like 男女平等 (nán nǚ píng děng, 'gender equality'), 男女混合 (nán nǚ hùn hé, 'mixed-gender'), or on restroom signs (男女厕所). Unlike English 'men and women', 男女 is rarely used for emphasis on individual identity or personal relationships; it functions more as a categorical, administrative, or structural label — similar to 'male and female' in official contexts, but more natural and idiomatic in Chinese.