牧童 (mù tóng) — shepherd boy, cowherd boy

Definition

A boy who tends grazing animals (sheep, cattle, buffalo) — a recurring figure in classical Chinese poetry and folk tales. No curriculum siblings to contrast with.

noun
shepherd boycowherd boy
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 牧童。
    Nà ge mù tóng zài shān shàng fàng yáng.
    That shepherd boy is herding sheep on the mountain.
  • 牧童。
    Zhè fú huà lǐ yǒu yí gè chuī dí zi de mù tóng.
    In this painting, there is a shepherd boy playing a flute.
  • 牧童。
    mù tóng De gù shi zài zhōng guó mín jiān liú chuán hěn guǎng.
    The story of the shepherd boy is widely spread in Chinese folklore.

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.

牧mùherd
童tóngchild

Herding and child combine to mean a boy who tends animals.

Characters in this word

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

牧 puts 牛 (cow) beside 攴 (a whip), showing someone herding cattle.

Open 牧 →

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

  • 䇂䇂䇂chisel
  • 見見jiànkneeling person with a huge eye

The form 童 comes from a pairing of 䇂 (a chisel) with 見 (a kneeling person with a huge eye), depicting a person having an eye gouged out.

Open 童 →

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