chǐ zi
ruler
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直尺 (zhí chǐ)
ruler
量尺 (liàng chǐ)
measuring stick
卷尺 (juǎnchǐ)
tape measure
皮尺 (píchǐ)
tape measure
The Chinese word 尺子 (chǐzi) for "ruler" is composed of two characters: 尺 (chǐ) and 子 (zi). The character 尺 originally meant "foot" and was used as a unit of measurement. It is composed of the radical 丨 (gǔn), which represents a vertical line, and the character 寸 (cùn), which means "inch". The character 子 (zi) is a suffix that indicates a small or young object. Together, 尺子 (chǐzi) literally means "small foot" and refers to a measuring tool that is about the length of a foot.
