叶子

• 拼音: yè zi
• 汉字拆解: 叶 = simplified from 葉, depicting a plant with leaves; 子 = pictograph of a child, used as a diminutive or noun suffix

含义

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.

例句

1. 秋天到了，树上的叶子开始慢慢变黄了。
2. 一阵风吹来，地上的叶子随风飞舞起来。
3. 她摘了一片叶子，夹在书里当书签。

用法指南

语境: everyday, nature

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 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.)

错误说法

• 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)

起源与历史

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.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal