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继子 (jì zǐ) — stepson

Definition

A stepson — the son of one's spouse from a previous relationship. Compare 继女 (stepdaughter) and 义子 (adopted son, who is not a blood relative either, but is taken in by choice, not by marriage).

noun
stepson
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 继子。
    Tā duì zì jǐ de jì zǐ hé qīn shēng ér zi yí yàng téng ài.
    She loves her stepson just as much as her biological son.
  • 继子，。
    Zhè ge jì zǐ suī rán hé jì fù méi yǒu xuè yuán guān xì, dàn gǎn qíng hěn hǎo.
    Although this stepson has no blood relation with his stepfather, they have a good relationship.
  • 继子，。
    Tā zuò wéi jì zǐ, yì zhí nǔ lì róng rù xīn de jiā tíng.
    As a stepson, he has been trying hard to integrate into the new family.

Origin

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.

继jìstep
子zǐson

继 (step) and 子 (son) combine for a son brought into a new family through remarriage.

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 繼; 继 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìrope
Sound part声符shēngfú
㡭
㡭㡭繼jì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 繼 pairs 糸 (rope) with 㡭 as a sound part; an older form may have shown four silk strands. The simplified 继 is only a later shorthand.

Open 继 →

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
Family & Kinship

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