椅子

• Pinyin: yǐ zi
• Hanzi breakdown: 椅 = 木 (wood) + 奇 (phonetic); 子 = noun suffix

Meaning

Chair. A piece of furniture for sitting, typically with a back and four legs.

The most common general word for 'chair' in Chinese. Covers all types of chairs including dining chairs, desk chairs, and folding chairs. For more specific types, add modifiers like 办公椅子 (office chair) or 摇椅 (rocking chair).

Examples

1. 请坐这把椅子。 Please sit in this chair.
2. 教室里有三十把椅子。 There are thirty chairs in the classroom.
3. 这把椅子坐起来很舒服。 This chair is very comfortable to sit in.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, home, school

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 帮我搬一把椅子过来。(Help me bring a chair over.)
• 椅子上有一只猫。(There's a cat on the chair.)

Don't Say

• 给我一个椅子。(Don't use 个 as the measure word for chairs — use 把: 给我一把椅子.)

Origin & History

Compound of 椅 (chair, with 木 wood radical indicating wooden furniture) and 子 (noun suffix). The character 椅 originally referred to a type of tree.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal