Meaning of 剪子
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- clippers
- scissors
- shears
Measure word: 把
How to use 剪子
剪子 is the everyday spoken word for scissors, and it is common in northern Chinese. The measure word is 把 (bǎ). Example: 给我一把剪子。(Gěi wǒ yì bǎ jiǎnzi.) Give me a pair of scissors.
剪 (jiǎn) has the knife radical 刀 at the bottom, so it is about cutting. Add the noun suffix 子 (zi) and you get the cutting tool itself: scissors.
Common mistake: Learners often say 一个剪子 or try to translate "a pair of" literally. Just use 一把剪子 (yì bǎ jiǎnzi). Also, 子 here is neutral tone, so say jiǎnzi, not jiǎn zǐ.
剪子 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
剪 jiǎn · scissors or similar tool · 11 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
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- 11
子 zi · noun suffix · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 剪子.
Questions about 剪子
What does 剪子 mean?
剪子 (jiǎnzi) means "clippers; scissors" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 剪子?
剪子 is made of 2 characters: 剪 (11 strokes), 子 (3 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 剪子 an HSK word?
Yes. 剪子 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 剪子 and 剪刀?
Both mean scissors. 剪刀 (jiǎndāo) is more common in standard and southern Mandarin and in writing, while 剪子 feels more colloquial and northern.
How do I say "cut with scissors" in Chinese?
Use the verb 剪 (jiǎn) by itself, for example 剪头发 (jiǎn tóufa), to cut hair. You can add the tool with 用: 用剪子剪纸 (yòng jiǎnzi jiǎn zhǐ), cut paper with scissors.