子
son; child; seed; suffix; man's title
Meanings
15 senses · 66 examplesnoun
child; son (now specifically)
Originally referred to both sons and daughters, now mostly used for male children.
He is the only child in his family.
Parents love their children dearly.
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He has two sons and one daughter.
The eldest son inherited the family estate.
She gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
noun
person; man/woman
Used with gender markers to specify male or female people.
All the men present were wearing suits.
That woman is taking a walk in the park.
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A passing woman helped me point the way.
Young men all love sports.
This woman is a famous painter.
noun
scholar; ancient honorific for men
archaicUsed as an honorific title for learned male scholars in ancient China.
Confucius was a great ancient Chinese philosopher.
The Hundred Schools of Thought were academic schools during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.
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Mencius was also a representative figure of the Confucian school.
Lao-Zhuang philosophy is the core thought of Taoism.
Ancient scholars often gave lectures to their students.
pronoun
you (ancient usage)
archaicUsed as a second-person pronoun in ancient Chinese texts.
Use your spear to pierce your shield, what would happen?
Confucius said: 'To learn and practice it from time to time, is that not a pleasure?'
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What do you rely on to go there?
Where are you going?
You are not a fish, how do you know the joy of fish?
noun
Zi (third category in ancient book classification)
archaicPart of the traditional Chinese library classification system, focusing on philosophical and miscellaneous works.
This ancient book belongs to the Zi category of classical works.
Is The Analects classified under the Jing or Zi category?
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The Zi category includes works of various pre-Qin scholars.
Qing dynasty scholars organized a large number of Zi category documents.
The Art of War is a famous military work in the Zi category.
noun
seed
informalUsed with the diminutive suffix -er in colloquial speech.
Spring is here, we need to plant watermelon seeds.
This pumpkin seed can grow into a very big pumpkin.
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He roasted sunflower seeds as a snack.
Vegetable seeds need to be sown in the right season.
I bought a pack of tomato seeds to plant.
noun
egg
informalRefers to the eggs of animals, often used with the diminutive suffix in colloquial speech.
The fish eggs sold at the market are very fresh.
I like to eat scrambled eggs with rice.
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The eggs of this bird are small and fragile.
Have you ever eaten soup made with duck eggs?
There are still a few chicken eggs left in the fridge.
adjective
small; young; tender
Used to describe young, small, or tender things.
We bought a few piglets to raise at home.
This outer city was a defensive perimeter for ancient cities.
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Fresh young ginger is perfect for making sweet and sour ginger.
The meat of young chickens is more tender than that of old chickens.
Seed cotton is unprocessed cotton just picked.
adjective
derivative;附属
Used to describe organizations or products that are derived from a main body.
This group has many subsidiaries distributed around the world.
Sub-brands usually inherit the brand image of the parent company.
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This software has multiple sub-modules for different functions.
Sub-projects need to be推进 in accordance with the overall plan.
Subsidiaries operate independently but are overseen by the parent company.
noun
small hard pellet/block
informalOften used with the diminutive suffix -er in colloquial speech.
When playing chess, each chess piece has fixed movement rules.
A bullet accidentally hit the wall.
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Abacus beads are made of wood or plastic.
A few small stones on the ground hurt my feet.
I strung glass beads into a bracelet.
noun
copper coin
archaic, informalRefers to old Chinese copper coins, with different denominations.
Old-fashioned large coins refer to higher-value copper coins.
Small copper coins were very common during the Republic of China period.
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He couldn't even take out a single copper coin.
Poor people in the old society wouldn't even spend a single copper coin.
This Republic of China copper coin is very well preserved.
measure word
measure word for thin bundles
informalUsed to count thin, bundled items like thread or noodles.
Mom bought a bundle of dried noodles to cook at home.
I need a spool of thread to mend clothes.
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He handed me a bundle of wool yarn to knit a scarf.
Embroidery thread sold in stores is priced by the bundle.
She took out a bundle of cotton thread to repair the fishing net.
noun
surname Zi
Used as a Chinese family name.
Mr. Zi is a new colleague at our company.
Teacher Zi teaches Chinese at school.
noun
Zi (fourth rank in feudal nobility)
archaicPart of the ancient Chinese feudal nobility system, below Marquis and above Earl.
The Viscount of Jin enjoyed a relatively high status among the feudal lords.
The five feudal ranks in the Zhou Dynasty were Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron.
noun
Zi (first Earthly Branch)
archaicFirst of the 10 Earthly Branches, used for dating, timekeeping, and zodiac signs. Corresponds to 11 PM to 1 AM.
The Year of Zi is the Year of the Rat in the Chinese zodiac.
The hour of Zi is from 11 PM to 1 AM.