胡子
hú zi · HSK 5
beard
🧔 胡 (non-Han, barbarian) + 子 (noun suffix) = beard
胡 originally referred to northern non-Han peoples, who were stereotyped as bearded; 子 is a common noun suffix. So 胡子 literally tags the feature foreigners were known for. Same 胡 appears in 胡萝卜 (carrot, lit. foreign radish).
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.