To give birth to, nourish, and raise a child. A written Chinese character or word. A child (子) under a roof (宀) studying its first written symbols.
书 is not the natural verb for writing characters in modern Mandarin; use 写.
Modern Mandarin requires the measure word 个 when counting 字.
字 means 'written character'; 子 means 'child' or acts as a noun suffix.
字 (zì) is a noun meaning a written character or word. 子 (zǐ) means child or son, and it also appears as a suffix in many nouns such as 桌子 (table) and 孩子 (child). They look similar because 字 contains 子 under a roof, but their meanings and uses are distinct.
| Dimension | 字 | 子 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | written character | child; noun suffix |
| Usage | standalone noun | bound form or suffix |
| Example | 写字 (write characters) | 孩子 (child) |
Yes, use 个 when counting characters: 一个字 (one character).
In Mandarin, nouns typically require a measure word when counted. For 字, the general measure word 个 is used. So 'one character' is 一个字, not 一字. In fixed expressions or classical Chinese, 一字 may appear, but it is not standard in modern spoken Mandarin.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Counting | 一个字 | 一字 |
| Reason | Measure word required | Sounds incomplete or classical |
Before you read, try clapping the rhythm. This poem introduces the days of the week and a fun secret: Chinese has two names for Sunday, but no 'Week Seven'!
星期天，星期日，两个 名字 都可以。
This short, soothing piece is about missing someone on a rainy night. The sentences are simple and repeat often, so you can practice reading while feeling the warm emotion.
我看着电脑，写下了几个 字 ：小雨，我想你。
This playful rhyme helps you learn family words in Chinese. Practice saying who's who with simple questions and answers!
人人爱学习，天天去学校，上午读读书，下午 写写字 。
Enjoy this simple story about a patient and a mysterious apple. It shows how a small act of kindness can make someone feel at home, and you'll learn key words for feelings and daily life.
桌子上有老先生写的 字 ：“我的朋友，你天天都好！”
Ever noticed how similar Chinese words can be? This rhyme plays with place names and homophones, from schools to hotels, even throwing in Samsung's origin. A lighthearted way to boost your word power.
五星大饭店，中国和中文，汉语和韩语， 汉字 和汉子。
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