桌子
zhuōzi · HSK 1
table
🪑 桌子 = zhuō (table) + zi (noun suffix)
桌 means table; 子 is a common noun-suffix that turns single characters into everyday nouns (房子 house, 椅子 chair, 桌子 table). The 木 radical at the bottom of 桌 marks it as a wooden object.
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.