Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 梳子 | shūzi | /ʂu⁵⁵ d͡z̥ɹ̩²/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /sɔː⁵⁵ t͡siː³⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 篦 | bì | /pi⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /pei̯²²/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 木梳 | mùshū | /mu⁵¹ ʂu⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /mu⁴⁴ fu²⁴/ (Mandarin, Dungan, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 捋仔 | loa̍h-á | /lua(ʔ)⁴⁻³³ a⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Kaohsiung, Taipei, Lukang, Tainan, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA) /lua(ʔ)⁴⁻¹ a⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Kaohsiung, Taipei, Lukang, Tainan, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA) |
Hokkien |
| 柴梳 | chhâ-soe / chhâ-se | /t͡sʰa²⁴⁻¹¹ sue⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Lukang, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Anxi, Hsinchu) /t͡sʰa²⁴⁻³³ sue⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Lukang, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Anxi, Hsinchu) |
Hokkien |
| 頭梳 / 头梳 | thâu-soe | Hokkien |
In Chinese, several terms exist to describe a comb depending on its material, teeth density or the specific language being spoken. The most common noun for a standard grooming comb is 梳子. If you are referring to the action of grooming hair, you can use the related forms 梳 or 篦.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 梳子 is composed of the verb 梳, which means 'to comb' and the noun suffix 子.
Which one should you use?
There are several nuances between the available terms. 梳子 refers to a standard comb, while 篦 specifically refers to a fine-toothed comb or a lice comb used for intensive grooming. The single character 梳 can function as both the noun 'comb' and the verb 'to comb', whereas 梳子 is used strictly as a noun. If the comb is made of wood, you should use 木梳.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hokkien, you might use 捋仔, 柴梳 (or chhâ-se) or 頭梳 to refer to a comb. In Dungan, the forms муфу, муфур and муфузы are used.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is shūzi. The IPA is /ʂu⁵⁵ dz̥ɹ̩²/.
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese culture, giving a 梳子 as a gift to a romantic partner is a symbol of 'combining' two lives and wishing for a lifelong union.
- In some Chinese folk beliefs, it is considered unlucky to leave a 梳子 on a table overnight, as it is thought to attract ghosts or bad luck.
- The Dungan language uses the forms муфу and муфур, which are written in Cyrillic because Dungan is a Sinitic language spoken primarily in Central Asia.
Examples in context
- 我的梳子在哪里呢？Where is my comb?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of your 梳子.Tatoeba #10484053 by BobbyLee, translation #3795266 by popball
- 她把梳子放在抽屉里面。She put the comb in the drawer.This sentence is useful for describing where someone placed their 梳子.Tatoeba #10484057 by BobbyLee, translation #2879291 by Amastan
- 这是梳子。It's a comb.This sentence is useful for identifying a 梳子.Tatoeba #10484055 by BobbyLee, translation #8669058 by ajje
- 她用梳子梳理她的头发。She uses a comb to groom her hair.
- 这是一把古代的钗梳。This is an ancient comb.
- 我忘记带梳子了，我得现在去梳头。I forgot to bring my comb, I need to go comb my hair right now.
- 佢用咗梳整佢頭髮。He used a comb to style his hair.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yu Ting is helping Jun Jie get ready for a party.
- 雨婷 Yuting俊杰，你需要梳子吗？Jùnjié, nǐ xūyào shūzi ma?Jun Jie, do you need a comb?
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，我的头发很乱。Shì de, wǒ de tóufǎ hěn luàn.Yes, my hair is very messy.
- 雨婷 Yuting这把梳子可以吗？Zhè bǎ shūzi kěyǐ ma?Is this comb okay?
- 俊杰 Junjie太好了，谢谢你。Tài hǎo le, xièxiè nǐ.That's great, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “comb” translations and entries 梳子, 篦, 木梳, 捋仔, 柴梳, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
