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爬行动物 (pá xíng dòng wù) — reptile

Definition

noun
reptile
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 爬行动物，。
    pá xíng dòng wù Yǒu hěn duō zhǒng, bǐ rú shé hé xī yì.
    There are many kinds of reptiles, such as snakes and lizards.
  • 爬行动物。
    È yú shì yì zhǒng dà xíng pá xíng dòng wù.
    Crocodiles are a type of large reptile.
  • 爬行动物。
    Kǒng lóng shì yǐ jīng miè jué de pá xíng dòng wù.
    Dinosaurs are extinct reptiles.

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.

爬行crawling
爬pácrawl行xíngmove
联合Coordinate
动物animal
动dòngmove物wùthing
偏正Modifier + head

爬行 gives crawling motion and 动物 gives moving thing: animals that crawl.

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
爪爪zhuǎ
Sound part声符shēngfú
巴
巴bā爬pá
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

爬 pairs 爪, the part that gives the meaning, with 巴, the part that gives the sound.

Open 爬 →

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

  • 彳彳chì
  • 亍亍chù

The shape of 行 originally showed a street intersection, even on both sides. Later it became uneven, with 彳 on the left and 亍 on the right.

Open 行 →

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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →

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
牛牛niú
Sound part声符shēngfú
勿
勿wù物wù
Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

Open 物 →
Appears in
Animals & Mammals

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