李子 (lǐ zi) — Chinese plum (Prunus salicina)

Definition

noun

Chinese plum (Prunus salicina)

Measure word · 个

李子，。
Zhè zhǒng lǐ zi hěn tián, shì hé zuò guǒ jiàng.
This kind of plum is very sweet and suitable for making jam.
李子，。
Tā zhǒng le jǐ kē lǐ zi shù, měi nián dōu jié hěn duō guǒ.
He planted several plum trees, and they bear a lot of fruit every year.
李子。
Chāo shì lǐ de lǐ zi kàn qǐ lái bú tài xīn xiān.
The plums in the supermarket don't look very fresh.

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.

李 names the plum, and 子 makes it a common fruit name.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

來

來lái李lǐ

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The earliest form of 李 paired 來 (wheat) with 子; the 來 part later changed into 木, giving today's shape.

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