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    Chinese Grammar

    Using 字 (zì) to express "character" or "word"

    Topic & Focus

    Explanation

    The noun 字 (zì) means "character" or "written word" and is one of the most fundamental terms in Chinese. It can refer to a single Chinese character, a written symbol, or handwriting. It also appears in many compound words, such as 汉字 (Chinese character), 名字 (name), and 文字 (writing/script).

    Examples

    • 这个字我不认识，你能帮我查一下吗？

      zhège zì wǒ bú rènshi, nǐ néng bāng wǒ chá yíxià ma?

      I don't recognize this character. Can you help me look it up?

    • 她的字写得特别漂亮，像印刷的一样。

      tā de zì xiě de tèbié piàoliang, xiàng yìnshuā de yíyàng.

      Her handwriting is especially beautiful, like it was printed.

    • 学中文最难的部分就是记住每个字怎么写。

      xué Zhōngwén zuì nán de bùfen jiùshì jìzhù měi ge zì zěnme xiě.

      The hardest part of learning Chinese is remembering how to write each character.

    Using 字 (zì) to express "character" or "word" | Chinese Grammar