Meaning of 尺子
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- ruler (measuring instrument)
Measure word: 把
How to use 尺子
尺子 is the everyday word for a ruler, used at school, in offices and for home projects. Its measure word is usually 把 (bǎ). Example: 你有尺子吗？(Nǐ yǒu chǐzi ma?) Do you have a ruler?
尺 (chǐ) is an old unit of length, about a third of a meter, and 子 (zi) is a common noun ending. So 尺子 is simply the thing you measure 尺 with: a ruler.
Common mistake: Learners often say the second syllable with a full tone. 子 here is neutral tone: chǐzi, not chǐ zǐ, just like in 桌子 (zhuōzi) and 杯子 (bēizi). Also, 尺 looks a bit like 尽 (jìn), but 尺 has no two dots inside.
尺子 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.
尺 chǐ · a Chinese foot · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
子 zi · noun suffix · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 尺子.
Questions about 尺子
What does 尺子 mean?
尺子 (chǐzi) means "ruler (measuring instrument)" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 尺子?
尺子 is made of 2 characters: 尺 (4 strokes), 子 (3 strokes). That is 7 strokes in total.
Is 尺子 an HSK word?
Yes. 尺子 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 尺 be used alone without 子?
Yes, but alone 尺 usually means the traditional length unit, as in 三尺 (sān chǐ), three chi. In compounds it can also mean a measuring tool, like 卷尺 (juǎnchǐ) tape measure or 直尺 (zhíchǐ) straight ruler.
Does 尺子 have any figurative meaning?
In everyday speech 尺子 means a physical ruler. For a standard or yardstick in a figurative sense, Chinese more often uses 尺度 (chǐdù) or 标准 (biāozhǔn).