钉子
dīng zi · HSK 7
nail
🔨📌 DING! The sound a hammer makes hitting a nail
When you hammer a nail it goes DING — that's exactly how 钉 (dīng) sounds. The character 钉 has the metal radical 钅on the left, confirming it's something metallic. A nail can also be a snag that sticks out and causes trouble.
钉 — metal radical 钅 + 丁
Originally 丁 alone depicted a nail head viewed from above, a pictograph of a nail. As 丁 took on other meanings, the metal radical 钅 was added to specify the metal object, giving 钉 'nail.' 丁 also supplies the sound (dīng/dìng).
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.