小日子 (xiǎo rì zǐ) — simple and cozy daily life (especially of a small family or couple)

Definition

小日子 paints 'daily life' (日子) as warm, modest, and content — usually a couple or small family's quiet, ordinary happiness. It carries a cozy, affectionate tone that the plain 生活 lacks.

noun
simple and cozy daily life (especially of a small family or couple)

Examples

  • 小日子。
    Zhè duì fū qī de xiǎo rì zǐ guò dé zhēn tián mì.
    This couple's simple daily life is really sweet.
  • 小日子。
    Tā men tuì xiū hòu zài xiǎo zhèn shàng guò zhe níng jìng de xiǎo rì zǐ.
    After retirement, they live a quiet, simple life in a small town.
  • ，小日子。
    Bú yào xiàn mù bié rén, zán men bǎ zì jǐ de xiǎo rì zǐ guò hǎo jiù xíng.
    Don't envy others; we just need to live our own cozy daily life well.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

小xiǎosmall
日子days; life
日rìday子zǐsuffix
后缀Suffix

小 adds a sense of smallness to 日子, giving the idea of a modest, cozy daily life.

Characters in this word

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

  • 八八bāto divide; to separate
  • 丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Open 小 →

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

日 originally drew the sun. A mark was added inside to tell it apart from similar square shapes.

Open 日 →

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 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.