The Chinese word 驴子 (lǘzi), meaning "donkey", is formed through a common morphological process where the core noun 驴 (lǘ), which specifically denotes the animal, is combined with the suffix 子 (zi). This suffix 子 is often added to single-syllable nouns to create a more colloquial, familiar, or sometimes slightly diminutive two-syllable word, which aligns with the rhythmic preferences of modern spoken Mandarin. In this case, 子 adds no independent meaning but serves a derivational function, transforming the base word into a more standard, everyday term without altering its core definition.