狐狸精 (hú li jīng) — fox spirit (mythological creature in Chinese fo… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

In Chinese folklore, a fox spirit is a shapeshifting creature that cultivates for centuries. Colloquially, it is a strong insult for a woman seen as seductive and home-wrecking — equivalent to calling someone a 'vixen' or 'witch'.

noun

fox spirit (mythological creature in Chinese folklore)(derogatory) seductive womanvixenhome-wrecker

Measure word · 个

Examples

，狐狸精。
Mín jiān chuán shuō zhōng, hú li jīng yào xiū liàn qiān nián cái néng biàn huà chéng rén.
In folklore, a fox spirit needs to cultivate for a thousand years before it can transform into a human.
，狐狸精。
Tā dào chù gōu yǐn bié rén de zhàng fu, dà jiā dōu mà tā shì hú li jīng.
She seduces other people's husbands everywhere; everyone curses her as a fox spirit.
，狐狸精。
Gǔ dài xiǎo shuō lǐ, hú li jīng jīng cháng zài yuè yuán zhī yè chū xiàn.
In ancient novels, fox spirits often appear on full moon nights.

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.

狐狸fox

狐húfox狸líleopard cat

联合Coordinate

狐狸 “fox” with 精 “spirit” gives a fox-spirit.

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.

犭瓜狐

Meaning part形符xíngfú

犭Written in full as犬quǎndog

Sound part声符shēngfú

瓜

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

狐 uses 犭, the dog sign, to mark it as an animal, and 瓜 to give the sound.

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

里

Same sound today

狸 pairs 犬, a dog, with 里, which gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

米青精

Meaning part形符xíngfú

米米mǐrice

Sound part声符shēngfú

青

青qīng精jīng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

精 pairs 米 (rice) with 青, which gives the sound; the character originally meant polished rice.

Appears in

Mythology & Folklore

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