梯子

• Pinyin: tī zi
• Hanzi breakdown: 梯 = 木 (wood) + 弟 (younger brother, phonetic); 子 = noun suffix

Meaning

Ladder. A climbing tool with rungs.

Basic household and work tool for reaching high places. Also used metaphorically for means of advancement. In internet slang, can refer to VPN or tools for accessing blocked content.

Examples

1. 够不着顶上的柜子，你帮我去拿个梯子来。 I can't reach the top cabinet — help me get a ladder.
2. 装修工人搬着梯子上上下下，忙了整整一天。 The renovation workers went up and down with ladders, busy for an entire day.
3. 他把这份工作当作往上爬的梯子，做完就跳槽了。 He treated this job as a ladder for climbing up, and quit as soon as he was done.

Usage Guide

Context: household, work, construction

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 借我用一下梯子。(Let me borrow the ladder.)
• 小心，梯子放稳了再爬。(Be careful — make sure the ladder is stable before climbing.)

Don't Say

• 把楼梯说成'梯子' (Don't call stairs 梯子 — stairs are 楼梯; 梯子 is a portable ladder)

Origin & History

梯 means ladder or stairs, 子 is a noun suffix — a climbing ladder.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal