子 zǐ / zi — 11 p.m.-1 a.m.; 1st earthly branch; child; midnight; son; child
院子里有一棵大树。Yuàn zi lǐ yǒu yì kē dà shù.There is a big tree in the yard.
Common words: 孩子 (hái zi)、儿子 (ér zi)、房子 (fáng zi)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "son"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "son", including 子 (zǐ / zi), 儿 (ér / er). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "son" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 子 (zǐ / zi), 儿 (ér / er) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zǐ, zi, ér, er — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 子 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 子 zǐ / zi11 p.m.-1 a.m.; 1st earthly branch; child; midnight; son; childUseful words: 孩子, 儿子
- 儿 ér / erson; non-syllabic dimi. suff.Useful words: 儿子, 女儿
Common words for these 2 "son" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 子 (zǐ / zi) — so "son" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "son".
儿 ér / er — son; non-syllabic dimi. suff.
他有一个可爱的女儿。Tā yǒu yí ge kě ài de nǚ ér.He has a lovely daughter.
Common words: 儿子 (ér zi)、女儿 (nǚ ér)、一会儿 (yī huì r)
All 2 characters
Open 子、儿 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.