金子
Jīn zǐ , jīn zi · HSK 7
gold
🪙 金子 = 金 gold + 子 child/seed-suffix; literally gold-bit = gold
金 means gold or metal and 子 is the common child or small-thing suffix, so 金子 reads as a nugget of gold. The same two characters are read Kaneko as a Japanese surname meaning gold.
金 — roof 亼 + two dots (metal nuggets) + earth 土
Originally a pictograph of metal nuggets buried in the earth beneath a covering, with the two dots representing pieces of ore. It first meant 'metal' broadly, then narrowed to 'gold' as the most precious metal, and by extension 'money'.
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.