n.
chair
椅子
chair
A chair or seat, paired with the noun suffix 子.
Common Usage & Traps
- 一把椅子 — a chair (using the counting word 把)
- 坐在椅子上 — sit on a chair
- 桌子和椅子 — tables and chairs; table and chair
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一个椅子一把椅子椅子 normally takes the counting word 把. 一个椅子 is understandable, but it sounds like a learner using the default 个 for everything.
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坐在椅子坐在椅子上When 椅子 is a location, Chinese wants a location word like 上 after it. Without 上, the phrase sounds cut off.
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一把椅一把椅子Bare 椅 is not used as a standalone noun in everyday Mandarin. Keep the 子 when you mean a chair.
Why do you say 一把椅子 instead of 一个椅子?
椅子 uses 把, not 个, when you count it.
Chinese speakers pair each noun with a counting word. For chairs, that word is 把, as in 一把椅子. 一个椅子 is not impossible to understand, but it sounds like default foreigner Chinese. Tables use 张, so do not assume 个 works everywhere.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Counting one chair | 一把椅子 | 一个椅子 |
| Counting one table | 一张桌子 | 一个桌子 |
| Native sound | 一把椅子 | 一个椅子 |
Is the 子 in 椅子 pronounced zǐ or zi?
Say yǐ zi—the 子 is neutral, not a full third tone.
Many learners read 椅子 as yǐ zǐ because they see two third tones. In everyday speech, 子 is light and quick: yǐ zi. You hear the same neutral 子 in 桌子, 孩子, and 帽子.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Tone on 子 | neutral zi | full third tone zǐ |
| Whole word | yǐ zi | yǐ zǐ |
| Sound | light and quick | heavy and separate |
Can you just say 椅 instead of 椅子?
No—椅 needs its 子 in everyday Mandarin; 椅子 is the word.
Bare 椅 appears in compounds like 桌椅 and 轮椅. It is not a standalone word for a chair. If you say 我买了一把椅, it sounds clipped and unnatural. Keep 椅子 when you mean chair by itself.
“你喜欢的那个桌子和椅子，我也买了。” (I also bought that table and chair you like.)
“你喜欢的那个桌子和椅子，我也买了。” (I also bought that table and chair you like.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone noun | 椅子 | 椅 |
| Ordering furniture | 我买了一把椅子 | 我买了一把椅 |
Featured in Story Deep Dive
Follow how this word unfolds across the narrative arc of this graded story.
This is a short dialogue about a shopping trip. A woman buys many things, including food, drinks, furniture, and pet food, while her boyfriend reminds her not to overspend.
- Scene #1
你喜欢的那个桌子和 椅子 ，我也买了。”
- Scene #2
我的男友说：“那个桌子和 椅子 有点儿太贵了。
- Scene #3
那些桌子、 椅子 什么的，这个星期都便宜了，都不贵。”
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