Meaning of 竹子
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- bamboo
Measure word: 棵,根
How to use 竹子
竹子 is the normal spoken word for bamboo as a plant or material. On its own, 竹 usually appears inside compounds like 竹林 (zhúlín, bamboo forest). Example: 熊猫喜欢吃竹子。(Xióngmāo xǐhuan chī zhúzi.) Pandas like to eat bamboo.
竹 (zhú) looks like two bamboo stalks standing side by side, each with drooping leaves at the top. Add the noun suffix 子 (zi), as in 桌子 (zhuōzi) and 杯子 (bēizi), and you get the everyday word for bamboo.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 竹 with 个 (gè) or forget that 竹 is second tone, saying zhǔ or zhù instead of zhú. The 子 is neutral tone, so say zhúzi lightly at the end, not zhú zǐ.
竹子 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.
竹 zhú · bamboo · 6 strokes
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子 zi · noun suffix · 3 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 竹子.
Questions about 竹子
What does 竹子 mean?
竹子 (zhúzi) means "bamboo" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 竹子?
竹子 is made of 2 characters: 竹 (6 strokes), 子 (3 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 竹子 an HSK word?
Yes. 竹子 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why do so many characters have a 竹 shape on top?
The top form ⺮ comes from 竹 and often marks things once made of bamboo, like 笔 (bǐ, pen), 筷 (kuài, chopstick) and 篮 (lán, basket). Spotting it can help you guess a word is related to bamboo objects.
What is the measure word for 竹子?
For a single stalk, use 根 (gēn), as in 一根竹子 (yì gēn zhúzi). For a clump or patch growing together, people often say 一片竹子 (yí piàn zhúzi) or 一丛竹子 (yì cóng zhúzi).