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哈巴狗 (hǎ ba gǒu) — Pekingese dog (small dog breed); (figurative, derogatory) toady, sycophant

Definition

A small short-snouted dog breed, the Pekingese. Figuratively, it means a toady — someone who flatters a boss or powerful person to gain favor.

noun
Pekingese dog (small dog breed)(figurative, derogatory) toadysycophant
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 哈巴狗，。
    Nà zhī hǎ ba gǒu hěn kě ài, yǎn jing dà dà de.
    That Pekingese dog is very cute, with big eyes.
  • 哈巴狗。
    Tā xiàng gè hǎ ba gǒu yí yàng tǎo hǎo lǎo bǎn.
    He flatters the boss like a toady.
  • 哈巴狗，。
    Bié zuò bié rén de hǎ ba gǒu, yào yǒu zì jǐ de zhǔ jiàn.
    Don't be someone's flunky; have your own opinions.

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.

哈巴Pekingese
哈hā巴bā
联绵Bound pair
狗gǒudog

哈巴 names the small dog breed and 狗 marks it as a dog, giving Pekingese or toady.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
合
合hé哈hā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

哈 uses 口 (mouth) to show a mouth-related idea, and 合 as a sound part. The shape of 合 may look like two open mouths, but that is likely by chance.

Open 哈 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 巴 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犬犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
句
句jù狗gǒu
Same sound today

狗 combines 犬, meaning dog, with 句, which gives the sound.

Open 狗 →
Appears in
Animals & Mammals

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