牛犊 (niú dú) — calf, young cow | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

calfyoung cow

Measure word · 头

Examples

牛犊，。
Zhè zhī niú dú gāng chū shēng sān tiān, hái zài chī nǎi.
This calf was born just three days ago and is still nursing.
，牛犊。
Tián yě lǐ, jǐ tóu niú dú zhèng gēn zhe mǔ niú sàn bù.
In the field, several calves are following the cow for a walk.
牛犊。
Mù chǎng gōng rén měi tiān dìng shí gěi niú dú wèi sì liào.
The ranch workers feed the calves at regular times every day.

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.

牛 specifies the animal and 犊 names its young, giving a cow's calf.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

牛 is drawn as a bull's head, with two horns and two ears.

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 犢; 犊 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

𧶠

𧶠𧶠犢dú

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

The evidence describes 犢, not 犊: 犢 pairs 牛 (ox) with a sound part 𧶠.

Appears in

Animals & Mammals

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