zǐ child; son

Structure

了 + 一

Overlapping structure

• 了 le — particle · le unknown
• 一 one · yī unknown

Structure from: makemeahanzi dictionary modern decomposition candidate (⿻了一), verified against hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 stroke geometry

Memory aid

了 is the bundled baby with its arms still tucked in. Lay 一 across it and the arms stretch out — 子, a child.

This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.

Stroke order

In real words

• 男子nán zǐman; male子 = zǐ
• 子女zǐ nǚsons and daughters; one's children子 = zǐspoken aszí nǚ
• 君子jūn zǐa person of noble character; gentleman子 = zǐ
• 壬子rén zǐrenzi, the 49th year of the sexagenary cycle子 = zǐ
• 妻子qī ziwife子 = zǐ
• 子孙zǐ sūnchildren and grandchildren; descendants子 = zǐ
• 子曰zǐ yuēthe Master said (the phrase that opens sayings of Confucius)子 = zǐ
• 孝子xiào zǐa filial son; a son who cares for his parents子 = zǐ
• 王子wáng zǐprince子 = zǐ
• 瓜子guā zǐmelon seeds (a common snack)子 = zǐ
• 竹子zhú zibamboo (the plant)子 = zǐ
• 子弹zǐ dànbullet子 = zǐ
• 孟子mèng zǐMencius (the philosopher, and the book of his sayings)子 = zǐ
• 孩子hái zǐchild; children子 = zǐspoken ashái zi
• 桌子zhuō zǐtable; desk子 = zǐspoken aszhuō zi
• 桔子jú zǐtangerine; mandarin orange子 = zǐspoken asjú zi
• 梳子shū zǐcomb子 = zǐspoken asshū zi
• 椅子yǐ zǐchair子 = zǐspoken asyǐ zi
• 椰子yē zǐcoconut; coconut palm子 = zǐspoken asyē zi
• 狮子shī zǐlion子 = zǐspoken asshī zi
• 瓶子píng zǐbottle子 = zǐspoken aspíng zi
• 电子秤diàn zǐ chèngelectronic scale子 = zǐ
• 盘子pán zǐplate; dish; tray子 = zǐspoken aspán zi
• 笛子dí zibamboo flute子 = zǐ
• 莲子lián zǐlotus seed子 = zǐ
• 蚊子wén zǐmosquito子 = zǐspoken aswén zi
• 袜子wà zǐsocks; stockings子 = zǐspoken aswà zi
• 豹子bào zǐleopard子 = zǐspoken asbào zi
• 轿子jiào zǐsedan chair (carried on poles)子 = zǐ
• 钳子qián zǐpliers; pincers; tongs子 = zǐspoken asqián zi
• 铲子chǎn zǐshovel; spade子 = zǐspoken aschǎn zi
• 鸭子yā zǐduck子 = zǐspoken asyā zi
• 鸽子gē zǐpigeon; dove子 = zǐspoken asgē zi

All readings

Other characters with these parts

了 → 疗辽

一 → 一七丁丈三万下与