犬子 (quǎn zǐ) — humble term for one's own son (used in formal o…

Definition

犬子 is a humble, formal/literary way for a parent to refer to 'my son' when speaking to others — shows self-deprecation, not used in everyday speech.

noun

humble term for one's own son (used in formal or written contexts)

Easily confused

犬子，。
Zhè shì wǒ de quǎn zǐ, qǐng duō guān zhào.
This is my son, please take care of him.
犬子。
quǎn zǐ Jīn nián gāng shàng gāo zhōng.
My son just started high school this year.
犬子，。
quǎn zǐ Bù dǒng shì, gěi nín tiān má fan le.
My son doesn't understand things; sorry for the trouble.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

犬, dog, and 子, child, combine literally as a dog's young, used humbly for one's son.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

犬 is a drawing of a dog seen from the side.

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.