勺子
sháo zi HSK 4

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

我用勺子喝汤。
Wǒ yòng sháozi hē tāng.
I use a spoon to drink soup.
这个勺子很漂亮。
Zhège sháozi hěn piàoliang.
This spoon is very beautiful.
请给我一个勺子。
Qǐng gěi wǒ yīgè sháozi.
Please give me a spoon.
我用勺子吃饭。
Wǒ yòng sháozi chīfàn.
I eat with a spoon.
勺子很干净。
Sháozi hěn gānjìng.
The spoon is very clean.

💡 Memory Tip

Remember 勺子 by breaking it down: 勺 (sháo) means 'ladle' or 'spoon' on its own, and 子 (zi) is a common noun suffix. Think of the sound 'sháo' as similar to 'shovel', which, like a spoon, is used to scoop things.

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral in register, used in both formal and informal contexts, and is common in spoken and written Chinese. It's most frequently used in daily life contexts like dining, cooking, and kitchen settings.

📖 Grammar Points

勺子 is a countable noun, typically used with measure words like 把 (bǎ), as in 一把勺子 (one spoon). It can function as a subject or object in sentences, e.g., 勺子很干净 (The spoon is clean).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese dining culture, spoons are commonly used for soups and porridge, and it's polite to hold a spoon properly, not make noise with it. In some contexts, 勺子 can be used metaphorically in slang to describe someone clumsy or foolish, but this is informal and context-dependent.

🔄 Similar Words

Similar words include 汤匙 (tāngchí), which specifically means 'soup spoon' and can sound slightly more formal, and 调羹 (tiáogēng), a more literary or regional term for spoon. 勺子 is the most general and commonly used term.

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