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黑子 (hēi zǐ) — black mole or birthmark (on skin); sunspot; black chess piece (in Go or chess)

Definition

Literally 'black piece/spot', 黑子 is a literary or technical word with three unrelated senses: a dark mole on skin, a sunspot, or the black chess piece (Go/chess). The everyday word for a mole is 痣.

noun
black mole or birthmark (on skin)sunspotblack chess piece (in Go or chess)
Measure word · 颗

Examples

  • 黑子。
    Tā liǎn shàng yǒu yì kē hēi zǐ.
    He has a black mole on his face.
  • 黑子。
    Kē xué jiā guān chá dào le tài yáng shàng de hēi zǐ.
    Scientists observed a sunspot on the sun.
  • 黑子。
    Tā xià qí shí xǐ huan yòng hēi zǐ.
    He likes to use the black pieces when playing chess.

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.

黑hēiblack
子zǐpiece

黑 names black and 子 names a piece or spot, so the word is a black piece or spot.

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 黑 seems to come from drawing a head marked with dots, usually read as facial tattoos.

Open 黑 →

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
Body PartsGames & PuzzlesSky & Space

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