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海豚 (hǎi tún) — dolphin

Definition

noun
dolphin
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 海豚。
    hǎi tún Shì yì zhǒng hěn cōng ming de dòng wù.
    Dolphins are a very intelligent kind of animal.
  • 海豚。
    Wǒ zài hǎi yáng guǎn kàn guò hǎi tún biǎo yǎn.
    I've seen a dolphin show at the aquarium.
  • 海豚。
    hǎi tún Shēng huó zài hǎi yáng lǐ.
    Dolphins live in the ocean.

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hǎisea
豚túnpig

海 (sea) and 豚 (pig) together name a sea creature once likened to a pig.

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
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.

Open 海 →

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

豚 is made by combining 肉 (meat) and 豕 (pig).

Open 豚 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Fish & Aquatic Life

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