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noun HSK 4
yǐng zi
shadow · reflection · trace · sign

Meaning

影子 literally means shadow or silhouette cast by an object blocking light. It can also refer to reflections in water or mirrors, and metaphorically means a trace, sign, or hint of something.

Usage

Commonly used in both literal contexts (the shadow on the ground) and figurative expressions (no trace of someone, or someone following another like a shadow). The neutral tone on 子 makes it feel natural and colloquial.

Examples

  1. 01
    太阳下山了，影子变得越来越长。
    Tài yáng xià shān le, yǐng zi biàn de yuè lái yuè cháng.
    As the sun set, the shadows became longer and longer.
  2. 02
    他已经走了好几天了，连个影子都没看见。
    Tā yǐ jīng zǒu le hǎo jǐ tiān le, lián gè yǐng zi dōu méi kàn jiàn.
    He's been gone for several days; we haven't seen any trace of him.

Characters

Measure words

  • 个gè一个影子
  • 道dào一道影子

Common collocations

  • 看不见影子
    kàn bù jiàn yǐng zi
    can't see any trace/sign
  • 没影子的事
    méi yǐng zi de shì
    groundless matter, rumor
  • 形影不离
    xíng yǐng bù lí
    inseparable (like body and shadow)
  • 追着影子跑
    zhuī zhe yǐng zi pǎo
    to chase after shadows

Antonyms

Origin

影 originally depicted a person under light creating a shadow. 子 is a common noun suffix in colloquial Mandarin that softens the word.

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