小鹿 (xiǎo lù) — fawn (baby deer)

Definition

noun
fawn (baby deer)
Measure word · 只
Easily confused

Examples

  • 小鹿。
    Wǒ zài sēn lín lǐ kàn dào yì zhī xiǎo lù.
    I saw a fawn in the forest.
  • 小鹿。
    Nà zhī xiǎo lù de máo shì zōng sè de.
    That fawn's fur is brown.
  • 小鹿。
    Gù shi lǐ yǒu yì zhī kě ài de xiǎo lù.
    There is a cute fawn in the story.

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.

小xiǎosmall
鹿lùdeer

The small '小' indicates young or tiny, and '鹿' is deer, giving a fawn.

Characters in this word

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

  • 八八bāto divide; to separate
  • 丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Open 小 →

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

鹿 is a picture of a deer, with antlers, head, mouth, and bent legs; in the current form these parts are abstracted.

Open 鹿 →

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