Definitions
(noun)
child; son
(noun)
small thing
(particle)
(noun suffix)
Etymology
Pictograph of a small child with its two arms waving.
About
The character "子" originated as a pictograph depicting an infant with a large head and outstretched arms, and its earliest meaning was "child" or "offspring". Its structure was simplified over time into its current form of three strokes, representing the head and two arms. While it retained its core meaning of a child, it developed significant extended uses, including as an honorific suffix for masters of thought like Confucius (孔子) and as a philosophical term meaning "master" or "the learned". Furthermore, it grammaticized into a nominal suffix used to form nouns, such as in 桌子 (table) or 刀子 (knife), and in the classical period, it also functioned as a polite term for "you".
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个孩子很聪明。
我的儿子在上学。
请把书放在桌子上。
农民正在播种种子。
士兵小心地装填子弹。
水分子由两个氢原子组成。
现代手机使用电子支付。
量子物理学研究微观粒子行为。