Definition
竹子 (zhú zi) refers to the bamboo plant as a material or living thing — the general word for 'bamboo'. 竹竿 (zhú gān) is a specific object: a long bamboo pole or stick (like one used for drying clothes or as a tool). Use 竹子 for the plant itself or the material, and 竹竿 for a cut, functional pole.
noun
bamboo
Measure word · 棵, 支, 根
Easily confused
- 柱子zhù zisound-alikepillar
Examples
- 竹子。Tāmen yòng zhú zi zuò le hěnduō jiājù.They made a lot of furniture from bamboo.
- 竹子。Zhè zuò shān shàng yǒu chéngqiān-shàngwàn kē zhú zi.On this mountain there are tens of thousands of bamboo plants.
- 竹子。Xióngmāo měitiān yào chī hěnduō zhú zi.Pandas eat a lot of bamboo every day.
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