仔 (zǎi) - child, young animal & careful, meticulous

仔Tone 3

zǎi ｜ 5 strokes ｜ radical: 亻

志

仔 · zǎi

child, young animal;

careful, meticulous;

also used as a diminutive suffix in Cantonese

child, young animalcareful, meticulousalso used as a diminutive suffix in Cantonese

Usage highlights

carefulpigletchickyoung animalCantonese diminutive suffixwork carefully

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 粗— coarse, rough
  • 马虎— careless, sloppy

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He is a careful worker (仔细的工人).
  • The piglet is very cute (猪仔很可爱).
  • In Cantonese, it's used as a diminutive suffix (e.g., 明仔).
  • Take good care of the child (好好照顾细佬仔).

Collocations

  • careful(仔细)
  • piglet(猪仔)
  • chick(鸡仔)
  • young animal(仔畜)
  • Cantonese diminutive suffix(仔)
  • work carefully(仔细工作)

Idioms

  • Meticulous and thorough(仔仔细细)
  • Look after carefully(看仔)
  • The young will be cared for(仔畜兴旺)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Cantonese, 仔 is commonly used as a diminutive suffix in names and nicknames, conveying affection and familiarity.
  • The character originally meant 'child' or 'young animal' and later extended to mean 'careful' or 'meticulous'.
  • In Southern Chinese dialects, especially Cantonese, 仔 is widely used in colloquial speech and personal names.

FAQ