刷子
shuā zi · HSK 4
brush
🖌️ 刷子 = shuā (brush/swipe) + zi (noun suffix) → a brush
刷 means to brush, scrub, or swipe (also used for swiping a card). The 子 suffix turns the verb into a concrete object noun, so 刷子 names the tool itself: a brush or scrubber. Classifier 把 (bǎ) fits handheld tools.
刷 — 刂 knife + 㕞 (brush, phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The right side 㕞 originally depicted a brush or scrubber and supplies the sound, while the knife radical 刂 hints at scraping or sweeping action. The character came to mean 'to brush, scrub, or swipe,' later extending to modern senses like swiping a card or binge-watching.
子 — pictograph of a baby/child with arms out
子 began as a pictograph of a swaddled infant with a large head and outstretched arms, originally meaning 'baby' or 'child.' From there it broadened to 'son,' 'offspring,' and a respectful suffix for masters like 孔子 (Confucius). It also became one of the twelve earthly branches.