叶子

• Pinyin: yè zi
• Hanzi breakdown: 叶 = simplified from 葉, depicting a plant with leaves; 子 = pictograph of a child, used as a diminutive or noun suffix

Meaning

Leaf; leaves. The flat, green parts of a plant or tree that grow from branches or stems.

The most common word for a leaf in everyday Chinese. Used for all types of plant leaves. In autumn, 叶子变黄了 (the leaves turn yellow) is a seasonal marker in Chinese writing and speech. Also used figuratively: 落叶 (fallen leaf) symbolises ageing or passage of time in Chinese literature.

Examples

1. 秋天到了，树上的叶子开始慢慢变黄了。 Autumn has arrived, and the leaves on the trees are slowly starting to turn yellow.
2. 一阵风吹来，地上的叶子随风飞舞起来。 A gust of wind came, and the leaves on the ground danced in the breeze.
3. 她摘了一片叶子，夹在书里当书签。 She picked a leaf and tucked it into a book as a bookmark.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, nature

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 院子里的叶子落了一地，需要清扫一下。(The courtyard is covered with fallen leaves — it needs to be swept.)
• 这片叶子的形状很特别，像一颗心。(The shape of this leaf is very distinctive — it looks like a heart.)

Don't Say

• 把'叶子'用来指花瓣 (Don't use 叶子 for flower petals — 叶子 refers to leaves, while petals are 花瓣)

Origin & History

A compound of 叶 (leaf, simplified from 葉 which depicted a tree with multiple leaves) and 子 (diminutive noun suffix, originally a pictograph of a child). 叶子 is the colloquial form.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal