TongTong
Sign in

沙子 (shā zi) — sand, grit

Definition

沙子 (shāzi) is the basic word for 'sand' as a material — grains you can hold, sift, or get in your shoe. It refers to the substance itself, not a place; 沙滩 is a sandy beach.

noun
sandgrit
Measure word · 粒, 把

Examples

  • 沙子。
    Wǒ xié lǐ miàn yǒu yí lì shā zi.
    There is a grain of sand in my shoe.
  • 沙子。
    Tā yòng yì bǎ shā zi duī le yí gè xiǎo chéng bǎo.
    He used a handful of sand to make a little castle.
  • 沙子，。
    Fēng chuī qǐ dì shàng de shā zi, ràng wǒ zhēng bù kāi yǎn.
    The wind blew up the sand on the ground, making me unable to open my eyes.

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.

沙shāsand
子zǐnoun suffix

沙 means sand; with 子 it becomes the common word for sand.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

沙 puts 少 (dots) beside 水 (water), showing sand on a shoreline.

Open 沙 →

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 5Materials & Substances

Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.