Pinyin	zǐ ; zi
Meaning	zǐ: son; child zi: used as a suffix to form nouns
Radical	子	繁體字	same

了

writing patterns, not components

category: pictograph

structure: single

3stroke count

HSK 1

子 (zǐ) is a pictograph of a child, and the horizontal stroke represents the arms.

Used as a component

子 (zǐ) can be used as a semantic or phonetic component.

Used as a morpheme/word

子 (zǐ) does not stand alone as a word; instead, it is often used as a morpheme. Although it mainly means “son” or “child,” it is most commonly used as a suffix that forms nouns and is pronounced in the neutral tone.

How to pronounce

First, have the middle of your tongue bowed and raised towards the roof, then say, d-si, as in “kid sit.”