水獭 (shuǐ tǎ) — otter | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

otter

Measure word · 只

Examples

水獭。
Dòng wù yuán lǐ yǒu yì zhī kě ài de xiǎo shuǐ tǎ.
There is a cute little otter in the zoo.
水獭。
shuǐ tǎ Xǐ huan zài shuǐ lǐ yóu yǒng.
Otters like to swim in the water.
水獭。
Zhè zhǒng shuǐ tǎ de pí máo fēi cháng zhēn guì.
This kind of otter's fur is very precious.

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.

水 “water” + 獭 “otter” names the otter that lives in water.

Characters in this word

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

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 獺; 獭 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

賴

賴lài獺tǎ

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 獺 combines 犬, a dog, with 賴 for the sound; the simplified 獭 is a shorthand.

Appears in

Animals & Mammals

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.