团子 (tuán zi) — round dumpling (a glutinous rice ball, often fi…

Definition

noun

round dumpling (a glutinous rice ball, often filled)

Measure word · 个

团子。
Wǒ mā ma zuò de tuán zi hěn hǎo chī.
My mom's homemade round dumplings are delicious.
团子。
Zhè zhǒng tuán zi lǐ miàn yǒu dòu shā xiàn.
This kind of round dumpling has red bean paste filling.
团子。
Wǒ men yì qǐ qù chāo shì mǎi tuán zi ba.
Let's go to the supermarket together to buy round dumplings.

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.

团tuánround lump

团 is a round lump and 子 makes it the familiar word for a dumpling.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 團; 团 is its simplified writing.

囗專團

Meaning part形符xíngfú

囗囗wéi

Sound part声符shēngfú

專

專zhuān團tuán

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 團 combines 囗 as a meaning part with 專 as a sound part; the story is about 團, not about 团.

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.

Appears in