Dictionary › 字

字

zì

Old HSK 1 HSK 3.0 character level 1 Character Measure word 个

字 (zì) means "character; word". It is an HSK 3.0 level 1 word, and was HSK 1 in the old six-level list.

What 字 means

1. letter
2. symbol
3. character
4. word
5. courtesy or style name traditionally given to males aged 20 in dynastic China

Example sentences

• 他识字。
  Tā shízì.
  He can read.
• 字、字⋯⋯
  Words, words...
• 我有字典。
  I have the dictionary.
• 我写字母。
  I write letters.
• 汉字很难读。
  Kanji are difficult to read.
• 我有本字典。
  I have a dictionary.

Words starting with 字

• 字典zì diǎnChinese character dictionary…
• 字幕zì mùsubtitles; captions (of a movie etc)
• 字母zì mǔletter (of the alphabet)
• 字节zì jié(computing) byte
• 字体zì tǐcalligraphic style; typeface; font
• 字样zì yàngmodel or template character; written slogan or phrase…
• 字眼zì yǎnwording
• 字符zì fúcharacter (computing)
• 字数zì shùnumber of written characters; number of words; word count
• 字迹zì jìhandwriting
• 字形zì xíngform of a Chinese character; variant of 字型
• 字条zì tiáobrief note
• 字画zì huàthe strokes of a character; calligraphy and painting
• 字句zì jùwords; expressions; writing
• 字面zì miànliteral; typeface
• 字词zì cíletters or words; words or phrase
• 字号zì haocharacter size; font size; fame
• 字里行间zì lǐ háng jiānbetween the words and the lines (idiom); implied meaning; connotations
• 字头zì tóusingle-character headword (in a dictionary); first character of a Chinese word…
• 字型zì xíngfont; typeface
• 字根zì gēncomponent of a Chinese character; (linguistics) word root; etymon
• 字音zì yīnphonetic value of a character
• 字正腔圆zì zhèng qiāng yuánto enunciate beautifully (in speaking or singing) (idiom)
• 字义zì yìmeaning of a character

Words containing 字

• 名字míng ziname (of a person or thing)
• 文字wén zìcharacter; script; writing
• 数字shù zìnumeral; digit; number
• 签字qiān zìto sign (one's name); signature
• 赤字chì zì(financial) deficit; red letter
• 繁体字fán tǐ zìtraditional Chinese character
• 简体字jiǎn tǐ zìsimplified Chinese character, as opposed to traditional Chinese character 繁体字
• 汉字hàn zìChinese character(s)
• 写字xiě zìto write (by hand); to practice calligraphy
• 识字shí zìto learn to read; able to read; literate
• 金字塔jīn zì tǎpyramid (building or structure)
• 打字dǎ zìto type (using a keyboard, typewriter or phone etc)
• 十字路口shí zì lù kǒucrossroads; intersection
• 写字楼xiě zì lóuoffice building
• 大字报dà zì bàobig-character poster
• 生字shēng zìnew character (in textbook); character that is unfamiliar or not yet studied
• 十字shí zìcross road; cross-shaped; crucifix
• 十字架shí zì jiàcross; crucifix; yoke one has to endure
• 关键字guān jiàn zìkeyword
• 数字化shù zì huàto digitize
• 写字台xiě zì táiwriting desk
• 八字bā zìthe character 8 or 八; birthdate characters used in fortune-telling
• 老字号lǎo zì hàoshop, firm, or brand of merchandise with a long-established reputation
• 十字军Shí zì jūnthe Crusades; Crusader army; (fig.) crusade; militant campaign for a cause

Characters built on 宀

These share the phonetic component 宀 (mián), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 实shíreal; true; honest
• 室shìroom; work unit; grave
• 密mìdense; close; thick; intimate; close; (bound form) secret; confidential
• 宜yíproper; should; suitable
• 寄jìto entrust; to place in sb's care; (bound form) to depend on; to attach oneself to…
• 寂jìsilent; solitary; Taiwan pr. jí
• 宓mìstill; silent

Characters that look like 字

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 华huámagnificent; splendid; flowery
• 孕yùnpregnant
• 宇yǔroom; universe
• 罕hǎnrare
• 牢láo(literary) pen; fold (for livestock); prison; jail; firm; secure; fast
• 孚fúto trust; to believe in

Sounds the same

Read zì, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 自(bound form) self; oneself; from; since; naturally; as a matter of course
• 渍to soak; to be stained; stain
• 恣to abandon restraint; to do as one pleases; comfortable (dialect)
• 眦(anatomy) corner of the eye; canthus
• 胔rotten meat; bones of dead animal
• 剚erect; stab
• 牸female of domestic animals
• 胾cut meat into pieces; diced meat
• 扻to strike; to run against; to throw, as a stone

Where 字 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Objects, Home Items and Pets (HSK 1), HSK 1 Characters · Set 15 (HSK 1), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 1 word, with the rest of its level.
• How characters are built from components.
• How to learn Chinese characters.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read zì correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.