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牧羊犬 (mù yáng quǎn) — sheepdog

Definition

noun
sheepdog
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 牧羊犬，。
    Zhè zhī mù yáng quǎn hěn cōng ming, huì zì jǐ fàng yáng.
    This sheepdog is very smart and can herd sheep on its own.
  • 牧羊犬。
    Tā zài nóng chǎng yǎng le liǎng zhī mù yáng quǎn.
    He keeps two sheepdogs on the farm.
  • 牧羊犬。
    mù yáng quǎn Shì yì zhǒng fēi cháng zhōng chéng de gōng zuò quǎn.
    The sheepdog is a very loyal working dog.

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.

牧羊tend sheep
牧mùtend羊yángsheep
动宾Verb + object
犬quǎndog

牧羊 means tending sheep, and 犬 names a dog, together referring to a sheepdog.

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 →

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

The shape of 羊 comes from a drawing of a ram's head.

Open 羊 →

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

犬 is a drawing of a dog seen from the side.

Open 犬 →
Appears in
Animals & Mammals

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