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位子 (wèi zi) — seat, place (a specific spot, such as a seat in a restaurant or a position in a row)

Definition

Colloquial 'seat / place' — usually a physical spot (in a restaurant, row, vehicle), everyday speech. 座位 is the neutral written choice; 位置 is broader ('position, location').

noun
seatplace (a specific spot, such as a seat in a restaurant or a position in a row)
Measure word · 个
Easily confused

Examples

  • 位子。
    Qǐng bāng wǒ liú yí gè wèi zi.
    Please save a seat for me.
  • 位子。
    Zhè ge wèi zi yǐ jīng yǒu rén le.
    This seat is already taken.
  • 位子。
    Tā zhǔ dòng bǎ wèi zi ràng gěi le lǎo rén.
    He voluntarily gave up his seat to the elderly person.

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.

位wèiseat
子zǐ

位 points to a place, and 子 makes it a seat or spot.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì位wèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

位 combines 人 (man), related to people, with 立, which gives the sound. It was often simply written as 立.

Open 位 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Furniture5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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