姿

zī

女 + 次

Definitions

zī (noun) appearance; posture; bearing

zī (noun) beauty; elegance

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 次 represents the sound.

Semantic: 女 Phonetic: 次

About

The character 姿 is a phono-semantic compound: the semantic element 女 (woman) at the bottom reflects its earliest associations with women, while the phonetic 次 at the top indicates the pronunciation. It originally described the graceful bearing, attractiveness, or elegant demeanor of women. Over time, its meaning broadened to encompass posture, gestures, and physical appearance of anyone, regardless of gender. Today it appears frequently in terms for bodily movements, facial expressions, and natural charm or endowments.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

她的坐姿很端正。

Tā de zuòzī hěn duānzhèng.

Her sitting posture is very upright.

她跳舞姿势优美。

Tā tiàowǔ zīshì yōuměi.

Her dancing posture is graceful.

模特儿摆出各种姿态。

Mótèr bǎi chū gèzhǒng zītài.

The model strikes various poses.

这幅画描绘了自然的姿态。

Zhè fú huà miáohuìle zìrán de zītài.

This painting depicts the posture of nature.

她以优雅的姿态走进房间。

Tā yǐ yōuyǎ de zītài zǒu jìn fángjiān.

She walked into the room with elegant grace.

运动员的起跑姿势很重要。

Yùndòngyuán de qǐpǎo zīshì hěn zhòngyào.

The athlete's starting posture is very important.

他的姿态表明他很有自信。

Tā de zītài biǎomíng tā hěn yǒu zìxìn.

His posture shows that he is very confident.

在舞台上，她展现出迷人的舞姿。

Zài wǔtái shàng, tā zhǎnxiàn chū mírén de wǔzī.

On stage, she displays captivating dance moves.

Related Characters

Component: 女

Component: 次

姿