Meaning
桌子 is the standard everyday word for 'table' or 'desk' in Mandarin Chinese. It refers to any piece of furniture with a flat surface supported by legs, used for working, eating, or placing objects. The suffix 子 (zi) is a common nominalizer that makes the word sound more colloquial and natural.
Usage
This is the most common, neutral word for table in daily conversation. Native speakers use it for dining tables, desks, coffee tables, and work tables. In formal or written contexts, sometimes just 桌 (zhuō) appears alone, but 桌子 is preferred in spoken Mandarin. It commonly appears with location words like 在桌子上 (on the table) or 桌子旁边 (beside the table).
Examples
- 01书在桌子上。.The book is on the table.
- 02我们需要买一张新桌子。.We need to buy a new table.
Characters
Measure words
- 张一张桌子
Common collocations
- 在桌子上on the table
- 擦桌子to wipe the table
- 桌子底下under the table
- 办公桌office desk
Origin
桌 originally depicted a tall table or stand. The character contains the wood radical 木, indicating it's a wooden object. The suffix 子 was added in colloquial speech to create the common bisyllabic noun form preferred in modern Mandarin.