Definition
身子 (shēn zi) is a colloquial noun for 'body' or 'health', used in everyday speech. It is less formal than 身体 (shēn tǐ, HSK2), which is the standard all-purpose word, and more casual than 人体 (rén tǐ, HSK5), which refers to the human body in a scientific or anatomical sense. 身子 can also euphemistically mean 'pregnancy' (e.g., 有了身子 'to be pregnant'), a sense that 身体 and 人体 do not share.
noun
body (colloquial)healthphysical conditionpregnancy (euphemistic)
Examples
- 身子,。Lǎorén jiā de shēn zi hái yìnglǎng, zǒulù hěn kuài.The old person's body is still strong; they walk very fast.
- 身子?。Nǐ zuìjìn shēn zi zěnme yàng? Yào zhùyì xiūxi.How has your health been lately? You need to get some rest.
- 身子。Tā jiéhūn bùjiǔ jiù yǒule shēn zi.She got pregnant not long after getting married.
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