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胡子

鬍子
húzi
noun HSK 5 #2,891

Measure Word

一把胡子 bǎ

Meanings

  1. 1 beard; mustache; facial hair

Characters

胡
hú
reckless; beard; barbarian
子
zi
suffix (makes a noun)
胡 originally meant barbarian -- foreigners were noted for their facial hair, so 胡 became associated with beards.

Examples

他留了一把长胡子。
Tā liú le yībǎ cháng húzi.
He grew a long beard.
每天早上我都要刮胡子。
Měitiān zǎoshang wǒ dōu yào guāhúzi.
I shave every morning.
他的胡子还没刮。
Tā de húzi hái méi guā.
He hasn't shaved his beard yet.

Tips

usage
刮胡子 (guā húzi) means 'to shave.' 留胡子 (liú húzi) means 'to grow a beard.' The measure word 把 is used for a full beard, suggesting a handful.
culture
In Chinese opera (京剧), different colored beards indicate character types: black for vigor, white for old age, and red for loyalty.

Stroke Order

胡 hú
子 zǐ