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料子 (liào zi) — clothing material, fabric; timber, wood; (colloquial) makings, potential (for a role or activity)

Definition

Literally 'material', used in spoken Chinese for cloth (做衣服) and wood (做家具). The colloquial sense 那块料子 ('that kind of stuff/person') means someone's makings — natural talent for a role.

noun
clothing materialfabrictimberwood(colloquial) makingspotential (for a role or activity)
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 料子。
    Zhè kuài liào zi hěn shì hé zuò xià tiān de yī fu.
    This fabric is very suitable for making summer clothes.
  • 料子。
    Zhè xiē liào zi kě yǐ yòng lái zuò jiā jù.
    These timbers can be used to make furniture.
  • 料子。
    Tā gēn běn bú shì dāng yǎn yuán de nà kuài liào zi.
    He is simply not cut out to be an actor.

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.

料liàomaterial
子zǐnoun ending

料 means material, and 子 completes the everyday word for fabric.

Characters in this word

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

料 combines 米 (rice) with 斗 (a dipper), showing rice being measured or gauged.

Open 料 →

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 →
Appears in
Materials & Substances

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