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仓鼠 (cāng shǔ) — hamster

Definition

noun
hamster
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 仓鼠。
    Wǒ yǎng le yì zhī cāng shǔ zuò wéi chǒng wù.
    I have a hamster as a pet.
  • 仓鼠。
    cāng shǔ Fēi cháng xǐ huan chī guā zǐ.
    Hamsters really like eating sunflower seeds.
  • 仓鼠。
    Zhè zhī cāng shǔ zài pǎo bù jī shàng pǎo lái pǎo qù.
    This hamster is running back and forth on its wheel.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

仓cānggranary
鼠shǔrat

The granary part and the rat part combine to name a small rodent linked with stored grain.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 倉; 仓 is its simplified writing.

仓 is explained through the traditional form 倉, which pairs 合 (gather) with 戶 (door) to show a warehouse.

Open 仓 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 鼠 pictures a rat: the upper part looks like an open mouth with teeth, while the lower part shows two feet on the left and a tail on the right.

Open 鼠 →
Appears in
Animals & Mammals

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