Meaning of 镜子
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- mirror
Measure word: 面,個|个
How to use 镜子
镜子 is the normal word for a mirror at home, in a bathroom, or on a car. It usually takes the measure word 面 (miàn) or 个 (gè). Example: 她每天早上照镜子。(Tā měitiān zǎoshang zhào jìngzi.) She looks in the mirror every morning.
镜 (jìng) has the metal radical 钅 on the left, because old mirrors were polished metal, and 竟 on the right, which also hints at the sound jìng. Add the noun suffix 子 (zi) and you get the everyday word for a mirror.
Common mistake: Learners often say 看镜子 (kàn jìngzi) when they mean checking their own reflection, but the natural verb is 照 (zhào), as in 照镜子. Also keep 子 in the neutral tone: say jìngzi, not jìngzǐ.
镜子 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.
镜 jìng · mirror · 16 strokes
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子 zi · noun suffix · 3 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 镜子.
Questions about 镜子
What does 镜子 mean?
镜子 (jìngzi) means "mirror" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 镜子?
镜子 is made of 2 characters: 镜 (16 strokes), 子 (3 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 镜子 an HSK word?
Yes. 镜子 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 镜子 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 镜子 is written 鏡子.
What is the difference between 镜子 and 眼镜?
镜子 (jìngzi) is a mirror. 眼镜 (yǎnjìng) means glasses that you wear, with 眼 meaning eye. Both use 镜 because it refers to glass or lens-like objects.
Can 镜 be used alone to mean mirror?
In everyday speech you usually need the full word 镜子. On its own, 镜 mostly appears inside compounds like 眼镜 (yǎnjìng, glasses), 镜头 (jìngtóu, camera lens) and 望远镜 (wàngyuǎnjìng, telescope).