The Chinese word 勺子 (sháozi), meaning "spoon", is a compound noun formed through a common Mandarin word-building pattern: it combines the meaningful root 勺 (sháo), which historically represents the concept of a ladle or spoon, with the neutral and frequently used noun suffix 子 (zi). The suffix 子 adds no independent meaning but grammaticalizes the root into a concrete, everyday object, often lending a sense of familiarity or indicating a small tool. Thus, the formation follows a semantic core (勺) + grammatical nominalizer (子) structure to create a standard, disyllabic word for a common utensil.