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袜子 (wà zi) — socks, stockings

Definition

A concrete noun for socks / stockings; everyday spoken and written. Measure it with 只 for a single sock, 双 for a pair — note 双 here is a measure word (classifier), not the noun 'pair'.

noun
socksstockings
Measure word · 只, 对, 双

Examples

  • 袜子。
    Wǒ mǎi le yì shuāng xīn wà zi.
    I bought a new pair of socks.
  • 袜子。
    Tā xǐ le yì shuāng wà zi.
    He washed a pair of socks.
  • 袜子。
    Zhè zhī wà zi shì bái sè de.
    This sock is white.

Origin

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.

袜wàsock
子zǐ

袜 names socks, and 子 completes the everyday word for them.

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
衣衣yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
末
末mò袜wà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

袜 combines 衣, related to clothing, with 末, which provides the sound.

Open 袜 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 4Clothing5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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