侄

妷/姪

zhí

亻 + 至

Frequency#2664

Definitions

zhí (noun) nephew (son of one's brother)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 至 represents the sound. Simplified form of 姪.

Semantic: 亻 Phonetic: 至

About

The character "侄", meaning nephew, originates from the traditional form "姪", which combines the woman radical "女" with the phonetic component "至". Historically, "姪" referred specifically to a brother's daughter within the paternal lineage, but over time its application broadened before narrowing again to denote a brother's son in contemporary usage. The simplified form "侄" substitutes the "女" radical with the person radical "亻", while retaining "至" as the phonetic element, reflecting a semantic shift from a gender-specific term to one focused on male kinship, with "侄" now exclusively meaning nephew and "侄女" used for niece.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Early Warring States (~400 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他是我的侄子。

Tā shì wǒ de zhízi.

He is my nephew.

我的侄子很聪明。

Wǒ de zhízi hěn cōngmíng.

My nephew is very smart.

侄子喜欢打篮球。

Zhízi xǐhuān dǎ lánqiú.

My nephew likes playing basketball.

昨天我见到了侄子。

Zuótiān wǒ jiàn dào le zhízi.

Yesterday I saw my nephew.

因为侄子生病，所以我担心。

Yīnwèi zhízi shēngbìng, suǒyǐ wǒ dānxīn.

Because my nephew is sick, I am worried.

我的侄子比女儿更高。

Wǒ de zhízi bǐ nǚ'ér gèng gāo.

My nephew is taller than my daughter.

每当侄子来我家，我们都会一起玩游戏。

Měi dāng zhízi lái wǒ jiā, wǒmen dōu huì yīqǐ wán yóuxì.

Whenever my nephew comes to my house, we play games together.

尽管侄子还小，但他已经懂得照顾别人。

Jǐnguǎn zhízi hái xiǎo, dàn tā yǐjīng dǒng de zhàogù biérén.

Although my nephew is still young, he already knows how to take care of others.

Related Characters

Component: 亻

Component: 至

侄