沙子

• Pinyin: shā zi
• Hanzi breakdown: 沙 = 氵(water) + 少 (few), depicting fine grains near water; 子 = noun suffix common in spoken Chinese

Meaning

Sand. Fine granular particles of rock, commonly found on beaches, deserts, and riverbeds.

The everyday word for sand in Chinese. 沙 alone can also mean sand, but 沙子 is the standard spoken form. Used in contexts ranging from beaches and deserts to construction materials and children's play. Also appears in expressions like 眼睛里进了沙子 (got sand in one's eye).

Examples

1. 海边的沙子又细又软，踩上去很舒服。 The sand at the beach is fine and soft — it feels great to walk on.
2. 风太大了，沙子吹到了我的眼睛里。 The wind was too strong and sand blew into my eyes.
3. 小朋友们在沙子上堆城堡，玩得很开心。 The children were building castles in the sand and having a great time.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, beach, construction, daily life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这片沙滩的沙子特别白。(The sand on this beach is especially white.)
• 建房子需要很多沙子和水泥。(Building a house requires a lot of sand and cement.)

Don't Say

• 我吃了一口沙子味的饭。(Don't use 沙子 as a flavour descriptor — say 饭里有沙子 to describe gritty food.)

Origin & History

沙 originally depicted water (氵) with few (少) particles — fine grains carried by water. 子 is a common noun suffix in spoken Chinese.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal