卒子 (zú zi) — (noun) pawn (in Chinese chess); (noun) a low-level person in a hierarchy, a cog in the machine

Definition

Literally the Chinese chess pawn (卒/兵), extended figuratively to mean a low-ranking person with no real power, a 'cog in the machine.' The chess sense is literal; the people sense is figurative.

noun
pawn (in Chinese chess)a low-level person in a hierarchy, a cog in the machine
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • ，卒子，。
    Zài xià qí shí, zú zi zhǐ néng wǎng qián zǒu, bù néng hòu tuì.
    In chess, pawns can only move forward, not backward.
  • 卒子，。
    Tā jué de zì jǐ zài gōng sī lǐ zhǐ shì gè zú zi, méi yǒu fā yán quán.
    He feels he's just a pawn in the company, with no say in things.
  • 卒子。
    Yí gè zú zi guò le hé jiù kě yǐ héng zhe zǒu.
    Once a pawn crosses the river, it can move sideways.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

卒zúsoldier
子zǐsuffix

'卒' means soldier or pawn, and '子' makes the familiar name '卒子'.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

Early forms of 卒 drew a completed piece of clothing, with a mark showing it was to be folded.

Open 卒 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →

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