楔子 (xiē zi) — wedge; peg (a tapered piece used to secure or fill gaps); prologue; interlude (in a traditional Chinese drama or novel)

Definition

Two distinct senses share this word: a physical wedge/peg used to secure or split, and a literary prologue in classical Chinese drama or fiction that sets up the main story.

noun
wedgepeg (a tapered piece used to secure or fill gaps)prologueinterlude (in a traditional Chinese drama or novel)
Measure word · 个
Easily confused

Examples

  • 楔子。
    Mù jiàng yòng xiē zi bǎ zhuō tuǐ gù dìng zhù.
    The carpenter used a wedge to secure the table leg.
  • 楔子。
    Zhè běn xiǎo shuō de xiē zi jiāo dài le gù shi de qǐ yīn.
    The prologue of this novel explains the cause of the story.
  • ，楔子。
    Zài jiù shì xì tái lǐ, xiē zi yě zhǐ kāi chǎng de xiǎo duàn.
    In old-style theaters, wedge also refers to a short opening segment.

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.

楔xiēwedge
子zǐsuffix

楔 gives wedge, and 子 makes 楔子, a wedge or prologue.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 楔 →

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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