孙子 sūn zi
“grandson; son's son”
noun, nameHSK 4 · 2021 list level 4Traditional 孫子
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
孙子 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1712: 孙子 sūnzi — Level 4; official annotation 4 (名). PDF page 122
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 孙子
孙子 (sūnzi) means “grandson,” specifically a son's son; a daughter's son is 外孙, and a granddaughter is 孙女. It is a countable family noun, commonly used with 有, 个/两个, possessives like 我的/他的, and patterns such as 某人的孙子 + action (e.g. 接孙子放学). The distinct reading Sūnzǐ refers to the ancient strategist Sun Tzu, not to a family member.
例句Example sentences
- 我爷爷有三个孙子，我是最小的。wǒ yé ye yǒu sān gè sūn zi, wǒ shì zuì xiǎo de.My grandfather has three grandsons; I am the youngest.
- 张奶奶每天下午去学校接孙子。zhāng nǎi nai měi tiān xià wǔ qù xué xiào jiē sūn zi.Grandma Zhang picks up her grandson from school every afternoon.
- 他的孙子今年五岁，很喜欢画画。tā de sūn zi jīn nián wǔ suì, hěn xǐ huan huà huà.His grandson is five this year and really likes drawing.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗我的孙子是女孩。
✓我的孙女是女孩。
孙子 refers only to a male grandson; a granddaughter is 孙女.
-
✗我女儿的儿子是我的孙子。
✓我女儿的儿子是我的外孙。
孙子 is specifically a son's son; a daughter's son is 外孙.
义项All meanings
- Sūn zǐ: Sun Tzu, also known as Sun Wu 孙武 (c. 500 BC, dates of birth and death uncertain), general, strategist and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period (700-475 BC), believed to be the author of the “Art of War” 孙子兵法, one of the Seven Military Classics of ancient China 武经七书
- sūn zi: grandson; son's son