zi
noun suffix, as in 椅子[yi3 zi5] "chair"
The ancient form shows a swaddled infant with arms free but legs wrapped tight. Over time, 子 was borrowed widely as a suffix that turns nouns into everyday, tangible things.
杆子
gān zi
pole
叉子
chā zi
fork
啥子
shá zi
(dialect) what
狗子
gǒu zi
(coll.) dog
争面子
zhēng miàn zi
to do (sb) proud; to be a credit to (one's school etc)
绵子
mián zi
(dial.) silk floss
配子
pèi zǐ
gamete
金子
jīn zi
gold
臣子
chén zǐ
official in feudal court
逗闷子
dòu mèn zi
(dialect) to joke
这一阵子
zhè yī zhèn zi
recently
这下子
zhè xià zi
this time
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