男子
nánzǐ · HSK 3
man
👨 男 = field + strength (man worked the fields); 子 = child/person suffix
男 combines 田 (field) over 力 (strength/plow), an etymology pointing to the field-laborer role. 子 is a common noun suffix marking a person. Together: male person.
男 — field 田 + strength/plow 力
男 is a compound ideograph combining 田 (field) above 力 (strength, originally a picture of a plow). It depicted the one who works the fields with a plow, i.e. a male laborer, and by extension came to mean 'man' or 'male' in general.
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.