海狮 (hǎi shī) — sea lion | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

sea lion

Measure word · 只

Examples

海狮。
Dòng wù yuán lǐ de hǎi shī zhèng zài biǎo yǎn dǐng qiú.
The sea lion at the zoo is performing a ball-balancing act.
海狮“”，。
hǎi shī Suī rán jiào "shī", dàn qí shí hé shī zi méi yǒu guān xì.
Although the sea lion is called 'lion', it is not related to lions at all.
，海狮。
Zài hǎi yáng guǎn lǐ, hái zi men zuì xǐ huan kàn hǎi shī yóu yǒng.
At the aquarium, children love watching sea lions swim the most.

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.

海 names the sea, and 狮 names a lion, so together they mean a sea lion.

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.

氵每海

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

每

每měi海hǎi

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

海 pairs 氵 (water) with 每, which gives the sound. The 氵 side shows it is about water.

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 獅; 狮 is its simplified writing.

犭師獅

Meaning part形符xíngfú

犭Written in full as犬quǎndog; beast

Sound part声符shēngfú

師

師shī獅shī

Same sound today

The traditional form 獅 pairs 犭 (dog; beast) with 師, which gives the sound; the simplified 狮 is a shorthand.

Appears in

Animals & Mammals

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