纸

• Pinyin: zhǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 纸 = 纟(silk radical) + 氏 (clan/family, phonetic component)

Meaning

Paper. A thin material made from wood pulp used for writing, printing, and packaging.

One of China's Four Great Inventions. Used with measure word 张 (sheet). Common in compounds like 报纸 (newspaper), 纸巾 (tissue), and 纸杯 (paper cup).

Examples

1. 请给我一张纸，我要写东西。 Please give me a piece of paper — I need to write something.
2. 桌子上有一些白纸。 There is some blank paper on the desk.
3. 这种纸很薄，写字容易破。 This kind of paper is very thin — it tears easily when writing.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, study

Tone: informational

Do Say

• 你有纸吗？我要记一下。(Do you have paper? I need to write something down.)
• 请用这张纸写你的名字。(Please write your name on this piece of paper.)

Don't Say

• 给我一个纸。(Don't use 个 as the measure word for paper — use 张. Say 给我一张纸.)

Origin & History

One of China's Four Great Inventions. The character originally referred to silk-based writing material before paper from wood pulp was developed by Cai Lun around 105 AD.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal