匙子 (chí zi) — spoon

Definition

noun
spoon
Measure word · 把
Easily confused

Examples

  • 匙子。
    Qǐng gěi wǒ yì bǎ chí zi.
    Please give me a spoon.
  • 匙子。
    Wǎn lǐ fàng zhe yì zhī chí zi.
    There is a spoon in the bowl.
  • 匙子。
    Tā yòng chí zi hē tāng.
    He drinks soup with a spoon.

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.

匙chíspoon
子zǐsuffix

匙 gives the spoon sense and 子 completes the everyday word.

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
匕匕bǐspoon
Sound part声符shēngfú
是
是shì匙chí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

匙 is made of 匕, meaning spoon, and 是, giving a sound hint.

Open 匙 →

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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