胖子 (pàng zi) — fat person, fatty | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

fat personfatty

Measure word · 个

胖子。
Nà ge pàng zi shì wǒ gē ge.
That fat person is my older brother.
胖子，。
Tā yǐ qián shì gè pàng zi, xiàn zài shòu le hěn duō.
He used to be a fat person; now he's lost a lot of weight.
胖子，。
Bié jiào wǒ pàng zi, wǒ bù xǐ huan zhè ge chēng hu.
Don't call me fatty—I don't like that name.

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.

子zǐnominal suffix

胖子 takes 胖 meaning fat and 子 to form a word referring to a fat person.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

半

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

胖 pairs 肉, which relates to flesh or the body, with 半, which gives a clue to the sound.

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.

Appears in