子 zǐ, zi — child, son; a seed; (unstressed, zi) the noun suffix of 桌子, 儿子, 孩子
zǐ (third tone, dipping) zi (neutral tone)
2 readings — the first is the most common.
child, son; a seed; (unstressed, zi) the noun suffix of 桌子, 儿子, 孩子
3 strokesRadical 子Frequency #22
Pinyin
- zǐ (third tone, dipping)most common
- zi (neutral tone)
child, son; a seed; (unstressed, zi) the noun suffix of 桌子, 儿子, 孩子
Character breakdown
Mnemonic
A baby with an outsized head, a single horizontal for the arms held out, and the body wrapped below so the legs never appear. Stressed, zǐ, it means a child or a seed. Unstressed it is the commonest noun ending in the language — 桌子, 椅子, 儿子 — where it carries no tone and no meaning of its own. It is also the child taught under a roof in 学 and the child beside the woman in 好.
A memory aid written by HSK Guide editors. It is not an etymology and does not describe the historical origin of the character.
Words containing 子
- 孩子háizi (second tone, rising)child, kid
- 子zǐ (third tone, dipping)son
- 儿子兒子érzi (second tone, rising)son
- 房子fáng (second tone, rising) zi (neutral tone)house
- 样子樣子yàng (fourth tone, falling) zi (neutral tone)appearance
- 日子rì (fourth tone, falling) zi (neutral tone)day
- 妻子qīzi (first tone, high and level)wife
- 桌子zhuōzi (first tone, high and level)table, desk
- 电子電子diàn (fourth tone, falling) zǐ (third tone, dipping)electronic
- 句子jùzi (fourth tone, falling)sentence
- 女子nǚ (third tone, dipping) zǐ (third tone, dipping)woman
- 椅子yǐzi (third tone, dipping)chair
- 一辈子一輩子yī (first tone, high and level) bèi (fourth tone, falling) zi (neutral tone)(for) a lifetime
- 男子nán (second tone, rising) zǐ (third tone, dipping)a man; a male
- 杯子bēizi (first tone, high and level)cup, glass
- 肚子dù (fourth tone, falling) zi (neutral tone)belly
- 鼻子bízi (second tone, rising)nose
- 帽子màozi (fourth tone, falling)hat, cap
- 脑子腦子nǎo (third tone, dipping) zi (neutral tone)brains
- 盘子盤子pánzi (second tone, rising)plate, dish
- 个子個子gèzi (fourth tone, falling)height, stature (of a person)
- 裙子qúnzi (second tone, rising)skirt, dress
- 筷子kuàizi (fourth tone, falling)chopsticks
- 裤子褲子kùzi (fourth tone, falling)trousers, a pair of trousers
- 脖子bó (second tone, rising) zi (neutral tone)neck
- 王子wáng (second tone, rising) zǐ (third tone, dipping)prince
- 子弹子彈zǐ (third tone, dipping) dàn (fourth tone, falling)bullet
- 电子邮件電子郵件diànzǐ (fourth tone, falling) yóujiàn (second tone, rising)email, electronic mail
- 狮子獅子shī (first tone, high and level) zi (neutral tone)lion
- 屋子wū (first tone, high and level) zi (neutral tone)house
- 胖子pàng (fourth tone, falling) zi (neutral tone)fat person
- 一下子yī (first tone, high and level) xià (fourth tone, falling) zi (neutral tone)in a short while
- 骗子騙子piàn (fourth tone, falling) zi (neutral tone)swindler
- 兔子tù (fourth tone, falling) zi (neutral tone)hare
- 镜子鏡子jìng (fourth tone, falling) zi (neutral tone)mirror
- 例子lì (fourth tone, falling) zi (neutral tone)case
- 片子piān (first tone, high and level) zi (neutral tone)film
- 种子種子zhǒng (third tone, dipping) zi (neutral tone)seed
- 牌子pái (second tone, rising) zi (neutral tone)sign
- 孙子孫子sūn (first tone, high and level) zi (neutral tone)grandson
- 猴子hóu (second tone, rising) zi (neutral tone)monkey
- 疯子瘋子fēng (first tone, high and level) zi (neutral tone)madman
- 面子miàn (fourth tone, falling) zi (neutral tone)outer surface
- 箱子xiāng (first tone, high and level) zi (neutral tone)suitcase
- 影子yǐng (third tone, dipping) zi (neutral tone)shadow
- 身子shēn (first tone, high and level) zi (neutral tone)body
- 盒子hé (second tone, rising) zi (neutral tone)case
- 胡子鬍子hú (second tone, rising) zi (neutral tone)beard