公牛 (gōng niú) — bull | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

bull

Measure word · 头

Examples

公牛。
Nóng chǎng lǐ yǒu yì tóu hěn zhuàng de gōng niú.
There is a very strong bull on the farm.
公牛。
Dòu niú shì cháo zhe gōng niú huī wǔ hóng bù.
The matador waved a red cloth at the bull.
公牛，。
Zhè tóu gōng niú shì zhǒng niú, tǐ gé fēi cháng jiàn zhuàng.
This bull is a breeding bull with a very sturdy physique.

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.

公 gives male and 牛 gives ox, so the word names a bull.

Characters in this word

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

One theory sees 公 as a picture of a wide-mouthed, round-bottomed jar.

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

牛 is drawn as a bull's head, with two horns and two ears.

Appears in

Animals & Mammals

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