The Chinese word **袍子** is a noun formed through a common morphological process in Mandarin, combining the meaningful root **袍** (páo), which denotes a long, loose gown or robe, with the suffix **子** (zi), which often serves to nominalize or concretize a concept. Here, **袍** carries the core semantic meaning of the garment, while **子** is a grammaticalized, neutral-toned suffix that transforms the base into a standalone, everyday noun. This **root + nominal suffix** structure is highly productive in Chinese, and in this case, **子** adds no independent meaning but creates a more colloquial, concrete term for "robe" or "gown" compared to using **袍** alone.