Chinese word

袖子

Pronunciation

Pinyinxiù zi

Meaning

  • nounsleeve

Example

孩子把铅笔塞进了外套的袖子。hái zi bǎ qiān bǐ sāi jìn le wài tào de xiù zi

The child put a pencil into the sleeve of the coat.

Illustration for 袖子 (sleeve)

More examples

他把袖子卷起来洗手。tā bǎ xiù zi juǎn qǐ lái xí shǒu

He rolled up his sleeve to wash his hands.

Core concept

A cloth section of a garment that covers the arm, protects it from the weather, and can be pushed up for easier movement.

Common phrases

  • 卷起袖子juán qǐ xiù zi

    roll up one's sleeves

  • 弄脏袖子nòng zāng xiù zi

    get one's sleeves dirty

  • 袖子破了xiù zi pò le

    One's sleeve is torn

Similar words

衣袖yī xiù: The sleeve of a garment, used mainly in formal or written descriptions.
袖口xiù kǒu: The opening and edge at the end of a sleeve.

Definition in Chinese

衣服两侧或袖口处的布料，用于遮挡风寒、修饰外观或卷起后方便活动。yī fú liǎng cè huò xiù kǒu chù de bù liào yòng yú zhē dǎng fēng hán xiū shì wài guān huò juán qǐ hòu fāng biàn huó dòng

Word origin

袖 (xiù, "sleeve") is the older word for the arm covering, while 子 (zi, "noun-forming suffix") makes 袖子 (xiùzi, "sleeve") the common modern noun.

Usage tips

  • The phrase 挽起袖子 (wǎn qǐ xiùzi, "roll up one's sleeves") describes preparing to work in Chinese as well as in English, and it can also suggest readiness for a task.

Related words

Word lists with this word