瓶子
píng zi · HSK 2
bottle
🍶 瓶 (bottle) + 子 (noun suffix); píng sounds like 'ping'
瓶 is the bottle itself; 子 is a common noun suffix that turns many objects into their everyday two-syllable names (椅子 chair, 桌子 table). The píng syllable rhymes with English 'ping', a handy sound hook.
瓶 — 併 (bing, phonetic) + 瓦 (tile/pottery)
瓶 is a phono-semantic compound. The right side 瓦 means tile or earthenware, signaling that the object is made of clay or pottery. The left side 并/併 supplies the sound 'ping'. Originally it referred to a pottery jar or jug, later generalized to any bottle or vase.
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.