粽子
zòng zi · HSK 7
glutinous rice and choice of filling wrapped in leaves and boiled
🍙 粽 = 米 rice + 宗 zōng (phonetic clan); 子 = noun suffix
Eaten at the Dragon Boat Festival (端午节). The 米 radical flags the rice content; 宗 lends the zòng sound. Sound-alike: a zòng is rice zoned off inside a leaf wrapper and boiled.
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.