Meaning
筛子 has two main meanings: (1) a sieve or strainer used for filtering or sifting materials like flour, sand, or tea leaves, and (2) dice used in games. The word combines 筛 (to sift/filter) with the nominal suffix 子. Both meanings share the concept of having holes or dots.
Usage
In everyday contexts, 筛子 most commonly refers to dice when discussing games or gambling. When referring to kitchen or industrial sieves, natives might be more specific with compounds like 面筛子 (flour sieve). The dice meaning is especially common in phrases like 掷筛子 (throw dice) or 摇筛子 (shake dice).
Examples
- 01他摇了摇筛子，扔在桌上。, .He shook the dice and threw them on the table.
- 02用筛子把面粉过一遍，口感会更细腻。, .Sift the flour through a sieve once, and the texture will be finer.
Characters
Measure words
- 个一个筛子
- 副一副筛子
Common collocations
- 掷筛子to throw dice
- 摇筛子to shake dice
- 面筛子flour sieve
- 茶筛子tea strainer
Origin
筛 originally referred to the action of sifting through a bamboo implement (note the bamboo radical 竹). The tool itself became known as 筛子. The dice meaning likely arose because dice have dots that resemble the holes in a sieve.