Chinese word

爪子

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhuǎ zi

Meaning

  • nounclaw

Example

今天猫用爪子抓了沙发。jīn tiān māo yòng zhuǎ zi zhuā le shā fā

Today, the cat scratched the sofa with its claws.

Illustration for 爪子 (claw)

More examples

动物园里的熊露出爪子，看起来很危险。dòng wù yuán lǐ de xióng lù chū zhuǎ zi kàn qǐ lái hěn wēi xiǎn

The bear at the zoo is showing its claws and looks dangerous.

Core concept

An animal's working hand or foot, especially where its hard, grasping tip meets the world.

Common phrases

  • 动物的爪子dòng wù de zhuǎ zi

    animal claws

  • 长出爪子zhǎng chū zhuǎ zi

    grow claws

  • 露出爪子lù chū zhuǎ zi

    expose claws

Similar words

爪zhǎo: A hard, pointed tip on an animal's foot or hand, used for grasping or scratching.
指甲zhí jiǎ: The thin, hard covering that grows on the end of a person's finger and protects it.

Definition in Chinese

指动物手脚末端的角质甲，用于抓握、抓挠或攀爬，口语中也可泛指类似的爪状物。zhǐ dòng wù shóu jiǎo mò duān de jiǎo zhì jiǎ yòng yú zhuā wò zhuā náo huò pān pá kóu yǔ zhōng yě kě fàn zhǐ lèi sì de zhǎo zhuàng wù

Word origin

In 爪子 (zhuǎzi, "claw"), 爪 (zhuǎ, "claw") names the gripping body part and 子 (zi, "noun-forming suffix") turns it into an everyday conversational noun.

Usage tips

  • English often separates the terms for an animal's hand or foot and its sharp tip, while this everyday Chinese noun can cover the whole paw-like part in context.

Other meanings

  • pawnoun

Related words

  • 爪甲zhǎo jiǎnail platenoun

Word lists with this word