笼子
lóng zi · HSK 7
cage
🧺 笼 = bamboo radical 竹 over 龙 (lóng, gives the sound); a woven bamboo enclosure
The 竹 bamboo radical up top tells you the material, while 龙 lóng underneath just lends the sound. 子 is the neutral-tone noun suffix, so 笼子 is the everyday word for a cage, coop, or bamboo basket.
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.