秆子 (gǎn zǐ) — stalk (of grain plants, e.g. rice); straw

Definition

noun

stalk (of grain plants, e.g. rice)straw

Measure word · 根

Easily confused

，秆子。
Qiū tiān dào le, dào tián lǐ de gǎn zǐ dōu biàn huáng le.
Autumn has arrived, and the stalks in the rice fields have turned yellow.
秆子，。
Nóng mín bǎ shōu gē hòu de gǎn zǐ shài gān, yòng lái zuò sì liào.
Farmers dry the harvested straw in the sun and use it as animal feed.
秆子。
Zhè xiē gǎn zǐ kě yǐ yòng lái biān zhī cǎo xí hé lán zi.
These stalks can be used to weave straw mats and baskets.

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.

秆gǎnstalk

'秆' names a stalk, and '子' gives it a familiar everyday form.

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 稈; 秆 is its simplified writing.

禾旱稈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

禾禾hécereal

Sound part声符shēngfú

旱

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

The traditional form 稈 uses 禾 (cereal) to indicate a plant/stalk meaning and 旱 for its sound; the simplified 秆 is a shorthand.

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.