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海豹 (hǎi bào) — seal (the marine mammal)

Definition

noun
seal (the marine mammal)
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 海豹。
    Zuó tiān wǒ zài dòng wù yuán kàn dào le jǐ zhī hǎi bào.
    Yesterday I saw several seals at the zoo.
  • 海豹。
    hǎi bào Shì yì zhǒng shēng huó zài hǎi lǐ de bǔ rǔ dòng wù.
    Seals are mammals that live in the sea.
  • 海豹。
    Zhè zhī hǎi bào zhèng zài shā tān shàng shài tài yáng.
    This seal is sunbathing on the beach.

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
豹bàoleopard

“海豹” is a “豹” of the “海”, a seal named like a sea leopard.

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 →

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
豸豸zhìbeast; creature
Sound part声符shēngfú
勺
勺sháo豹bào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

豹 pairs 豸, a mark for a beast or creature, with 勺, which gives the sound.

Open 豹 →
Appears in
Animals & Mammals

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