茄子
qié zi · HSK 6
eggplant
🍆 茄 = plant (艹) + add (加); the veggie you add to every dish
艹 on top marks vegetation. 加 (jiā) loosely hints at the qié sound. 子 means seed or child — so eggplant is the add-plant child, always tossed into stir-fries.
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.