Zi:子

子 [zǐ] child/offspring; ​儿子 son; 子​儿 seed (​籽); sub-/subordinate (子​集 subset); (​地​支) 1st Earthly Branch; (radical 39, 子​部) [zi] (n. suf.) ​孩子, ​桌子, ​屋子, ​电子; (HDZ:) …

2 monosyllabic entries in The ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary (namespace Ci):

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The Shuōwén Seal form of 子(​𠯃) zǐ ‘child/offspring’ is said to depict a young child, a crawling infant / toddler (the legs are weak/swaddled, and so not drawn in full); the arms are up-raised seeking help or in respect (cf. ​廾/​𠬞, ​孝); the loop of the head is not closed, marking the ​囟(​𦥓) xìn ‘fontanel’ (softspot in the top of the child's skull); formerly wr. ​𡿹(​𢀇), with a shape like ​巛 for the hair, also suggesting ​气 qì ‘breath/cries’.
    Note: In the old complex/decorative form ​𢀇 the top is wr. like ​𡿺, as in ​脑/​腦(​匘), in which ​囟(​𦥓) xìn ‘fontanel’ (brain).
    Note: 子(​𠯃) zǐ ‘child/offspring; seed’ (first of the 12 ​地​支) is among the oldest Ch. wr. signs; cf. ​天​干, ​地​支, ​天​干​地​支.
    Compare: ​甲(​𠇚) jiǎ ‘sprouting seed/acorn’ (first of the 10 ​天​干).
    Compare: ​𠫓(​𡿮​㐬) liú ‘nurture/foster’ (child inverted, head-down, easy birth); cf. ​㐬, ​毓/​育, ​后.
    Compare: ​向 xiàng; ​亨/​享(​𠅠) xiǎng.
    Compare: ​了, ​孑(​𡤼), ​孒, ​孨.
    Compare: ​兒(​𠒆) ér ‘child’, among simple characters wr. ​儿 (​儿子 érzi ‘son’).
    Note: As a noun suffix, 子 zǐ takes the neutral (unstressed) tone, as in ​屋子 wūzi ‘room’.
    Note: As a left-side component, 子 zǐ is often wr. ​孑, as in ​孖, ​孩.
    子 is the 39th of the 214 radicals.
    HDZ: 子 : zǐ : (​古) ​儿、​女 (子​女); ​儿子; 子​孙, ​后​代; ​太子, ​君​位​的​继​承​人; ​诸​侯​服​丧​期​间​的​称​呼; ​臣​民, ​百​姓; ​爱, ​象​对子​女​一​样​地​爱​护; ​今​儿​女​之​道, ​善​事​父​母; ​收​养​为子; (​古) ​第​四​等​爵​位​名 (cf. 子​爵); (​古) ​士​大​夫; (​古) (​通​称) ​对​男子; (​古) (​称​呼) ​对​女子; (​泛) ​人; (​代​词) ​你/​您; (​古) (​称​呼) ​人​对​自​己​老​师​的​称​呼; (​老子, ​荀子, ​韩​非子); ​动​物​的​幼​儿; ​动​物​的​卵; ​植​物​的​果​实​或​种子 (​松子, ​莲子, ​裸子​植​物, ​被子​植​物; cf. ​籽); ​滋​生; ​结​果​实; (子​弹, 子​石, ​算​盘子); ​棋子; ​幼​小​的, ​稚​嫩​的 (子​鸡, 子​畜, 子​薑/​姜); (​古) ​货​币​轻​者; ​利​钱, ​息​金; ​副, ​偏 (​官​职); ​派​生​的、​从​属​的 (​与​本​体​或​母​体​相​对​而​存​在​的​事​物) (子​注, 子​堤, 子​公​司, 子​母​钟); (​地​支) (​与​天​干​相​配, ​用​以​纪​年; ​用​以​纪​月; ​用​以​纪​日; ​用​以​纪​时, ​夜​半​十​一​时​至​一​时) (cf. ​天​干​地​支; ​甲子、​丙子、​戊子、​庚子、​壬子); (​五​行) ​水; (​生​肖) ​鼠; ​似; (​量​词); ​則 (zé): ​作/​做; ​姊; (​副​词); (​姓) • zi : (​助​词) (​后​缀)
►references: Guǎngyùn:253.30; Wieger:94a; Karlgren:AD1089,GSR964a; Hànyǔ Dà Zìdiǎn:2.1006.6; Lindqvist:44; Mathews:6939; Kāngxī Zìdiǎn:277.01; Bǐshùn Guīfàn:004.1.02; Wáng(1993):26; EDOC:1
►components: ​了​一​
►Cantonese: ji/
►stroke 子 (... strokes)   
►list characters containing 子 as a component
►list words containing 子 (most common words first)
Unicode: U+5B50
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