狮 (shī) — lion (bound morpheme, used in compounds)
Definition
狮 is a bound morpheme meaning 'lion' — it never stands alone. Use it only inside compounds like 狮子 or 石狮; the everyday spoken word is 狮子.
bound form
lion (bound morpheme, used in compounds)
Examples
- 。Dòng wù yuán lǐ yǒu yì tóu dà shī zi.There is a big lion in the zoo.
- 。Cǎo yuán shàng yǒu yì zhī xióng shī.There is a male lion on the grassland.
- 。Gōng yuán de xiǎo shī zi hěn kě ài.The little lion cub in the park is very cute.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 獅; 狮 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
師
師shī獅shī
Same sound today
The traditional form 獅 pairs 犭 (dog; beast) with 師, which gives the sound; the simplified 狮 is a shorthand.
Appears in
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