熊猫 (xióng māo) — giant panda | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

giant panda

Measure word · 只

熊猫。
xióng māo Shì zhōng guó de guó bǎo.
The giant panda is China's national treasure.
熊猫。
Hái zi men dōu xǐ huan kàn xióng māo.
Children all like to watch pandas.
熊猫。
Zhè zhī xióng māo zhèng zài chī zhú zi.
This panda is eating bamboo.

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.

The name combines 熊 and 猫, highlighting the panda's bear-like body and cat-like face.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

炎

炎yán熊xióng

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

熊 is made of 能 and 炎. It originally represented a word for raging flame; when 能 was borrowed for another word, 熊 came to write 'bear'.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

苗

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

猫 puts 犬 beside 苗; 犬 marks the animal sense, and 苗 gives the sound.

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