子 Stroke Order — How to Write 子
子 is written in 3 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 子, then complete the remaining strokes.
Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.
子 Radical and Character Components
子 is a pictograph. A child in a wrap, with outstretched arms but bundled legs.
Radical: 子 + 0 more strokes
子 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- zǐ
Meanings of 子 in Chinese
1
zǐ子
Refers to a son or child, often used in compounds to denote children, descendants, or younger generation.
他希望他的子孙能够幸福。
He hopes his descendants can be happy.
fruit, seed, or kernel of a plant
他喜欢在看电视时嗑瓜子。
He likes to crack sunflower seeds while watching TV.
animal's egg; roe; spawn
她喜欢吃鱼子酱。
She likes to eat caviar.
Young, small (referring to parts of animals, or smaller derived items).
这份沙拉里加了一些美味的鱼子。
This salad has some delicious fish roe.
Small, hard, granular objects, such as bullets or chess pieces.
他把所有的棋子儿都收了起来。
He put away all the chess pieces.
Refers to something secondary or derived, often contrasted with a 'main' or 'mother' part, as in 'interest' (子金), 'snap fastener' (子母扣), or 'consonant' (子音).
衣服上的子母扣很方便。
The snap fasteners on the clothes are very convenient.
A term of address for people, often indicating a specific role or status, such as 'man', 'wife', 'scholar', 'boatman', 'talented person'.
他是一位博学的士子。
He is a learned scholar.
An ancient respectful term for a person, often referring to a teacher or a scholar of high moral character and profound learning.
老师教导我们，要学习先贤诸子，做有德之人。
Our teacher instructed us to learn from the ancient masters and become virtuous individuals.
The first of the twelve earthly branches, associated with the Rat, often used in the idiom '子丑寅卯' (zǐchǒuyínmǎo) to describe a logical order or sequence.
他们把任务分工得子丑寅卯，每一步都清晰明了。
They divided the tasks in a perfectly orderly fashion, with every step clear and distinct.
Used in timekeeping, referring to the period from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. (zǐshí) or midnight (zǐyè).
子夜时分，整个城市都陷入了沉寂
At midnight, the entire city fell into silence.
The fourth of the five orders of ancient Chinese nobility; a viscount.
子爵是贵族阶级中的一个等级。
A viscount is a rank within the nobility.
A nominal suffix, often unstressed, attached to nouns, verbs, or adjectives to form a new noun.
别给我惹乱子。
Don't cause me trouble.
A light-toned suffix used after a numeral-classifier structure to indicate a small amount or short duration.
你先等一下子，我马上就来。
Please wait for a moment; I'll be right there.
Common Words and Phrases with 子
1
The third of the four traditional divisions of ancient Chinese literature (Classics, History, Masters, Collections), primarily encompassing works by various schools of thought, arts, and genealogies.
传统目录学将古籍划分为经、史、子、集四部，其中子部收录了诸子百家、农医、术数等各类著作。
Traditional bibliography classifies ancient books into four categories: Classics, History, Masters, and Collections, with the Masters (Zibu) section including various works such as those by the Hundred Schools of Thought, agriculture, medicine, and divination.
2
a small city or fort built within or attached to a larger city
这座古城的西门外，还保留着一座完整的子城，用于防御和屯兵。
Outside the west gate of this ancient city, a complete barbican is still preserved, used for defense and garrisoning troops.
3
The first four of the twelve Earthly Branches, metaphorically referring to underlying reasons or a set of principles.
老王对农历节气非常熟悉，即使不看日历，也能准确说出子丑寅卯是哪几个时辰。
Old Wang is very familiar with the lunar calendar's solar terms; even without looking at a calendar, he can accurately state which hours correspond to Zǐ, Chǒu, Yín, and Mǎo.
4
5
filial generation; offspring
经过杂交，植物的子代表现出了新的特性。
After hybridization, the offspring of the plant displayed new characteristics.
6
A projectile, typically cylindrical, fired from a firearm like a rifle, shotgun, or pistol.
这把玩具枪虽然看起来很酷，但它不能发射真正的子弹。
Although this toy gun looks cool, it cannot fire real bullets.
7
children or juniors, especially sons and younger brothers
这家武馆的子弟们从小刻苦训练，未来定能成为栋梁之才。
The young disciples of this martial arts school have trained diligently since childhood, and will surely become pillars of talent in the future.
8
People's own army, a term of endearment for the armed forces, implying they are like sons and daughters of the people.
洪水来临时，子弟兵们总是冲锋在前，保护村民的生命财产安全。
When floods come, these beloved soldiers always rush to the forefront, safeguarding the lives and property of the villagers.
9
son and daughter-in-law; or specifically, daughter-in-law
她对子妇像亲生女儿一样好，婆媳关系十分融洽。
She treated her daughter-in-law as if she were her own daughter, and their mother-in-law-daughter-in-law relationship was very harmonious.
10
The organ in a female mammal where the fetus develops.
怀孕期间，胎儿在母亲的子宫里发育成长。
During pregnancy, the fetus develops and grows in the mother's uterus.
11
A subsidiary company is a company that is owned or controlled by another company, often referred to as the parent company.
我们公司最近成立了一家新的子公司，专注于开发人工智能技术。
Our company recently established a new subsidiary, focusing on developing artificial intelligence technology.
12
Zigong (Zǐgòng) was a prominent student of Confucius, also known as Duanmu Ci.
子贡曾向孔子请教为人之道，孔子教导他要先学习礼仪。
Zigong once asked Confucius about the way to conduct oneself, and Confucius taught him to first learn the rites.
13
cuckoo
子规啼血盼春归，山间雾绕隐翠微。
The cuckoo cries as if spitting blood, longing for spring's return; mist enfolds the mountains, veiling their emerald peaks.
14
interest
他将闲置的资金存入银行，希望能从中获得一些子金来补贴家用。
He deposited his idle funds into the bank, hoping to earn some interest from it to supplement household expenses.
15
A clause; a grammatical unit within a sentence that typically contains a subject and a predicate.
这个复杂句子包含一个主句和三个子句。
This complex sentence contains a main clause and three subordinate clauses.
16
Viscount, a rank of nobility below an earl and above a baron.
传说中，那位古老的子爵拥有一个世代相传的神秘庄园。
Legend has it that the ancient viscount owned a mysterious manor passed down through generations.
More words with 子
- bēi杯zi子cup, mug
- chóng虫zi子insect or worm
- chuí锤zi子hammer
- dù肚zi子Stomach or belly.
- gē鸽zi子pigeon, dove
- kuài筷zi子chopsticks
- mào帽zi子hat, cap
- piàn骗zi子Scammer, Fraudster
- qī妻zǐ子wife
- sǎng嗓zi子throat
- shàn扇zi子fan
- sūn孙zi子grandson (son's son)
- wū屋zi子Room
- xiān仙zǐ子A fairy; a celestial maiden.
- xié鞋zi子shoes
- xiù袖zi子sleeve
- yā鸭zi子duck
- yàng样zi子Appearance, look, manner, or style.
- yǐ椅zi子chair
- yuàn院zi子courtyard
Idioms with 子
- zi子chéng承fù父yè业Son inherits father's business or legacy
- zi子jì继fù父yè业Son inherits father's business
- zǐ子sūn孙hòu后bèi辈descendants and future generations
- zǐ子sūn孙hòu后dài代future generations
- zǐ子xū虚wū乌yǒu有pure fabrication
- zǐ子zǐ子sūn孙sūn孙descendants for generations
- ā阿dǒu斗tài太zǐ子an incompetent good-for-nothing person
- ài爱mín民rú如zǐ子cherish the people as one's own children
- bái白bǎn板tiān天zǐ子a powerless figurehead ruler
- bǎi百jiā家zhū诸zǐ子Pre-Qin masters and schools of thought
- bàn半píng瓶zi子cù醋dabbler with superficial knowledge
- bàn半zi子zhī之yì谊son-in-law treated as own son
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Open the tool →Questions about 子
What does 子 mean in Chinese?
子 (zǐ) means “Refers to a son or child” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 子?
子 is pronounced zǐ in Mandarin Chinese.
How many strokes does 子 have?
子 has 3 strokes.
How do you write 子?
子 is written in 3 strokes, starting from the radical 子. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 子?
The radical of 子 is 子, and 子 is a pictograph.