锤子
chuí zi · HSK 7
hammer
🔨 chuí sounds like CHEW — a hammer chews through nails and wood
锤 combines 金 (metal) + 垂 (hang/droop). A heavy metal head drooping from a handle — that is literally what a hammer is. The phonetic component 垂 (chuí) gives the pronunciation directly.
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.