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白马 (bái mǎ) — white horse

Definition

Literally 'white horse' and commonly used in Chinese idioms and legends (e.g. 白马王子 'prince charming'). Use 匹 as the measure word for the animal itself, not 匹 for the phrase as a whole.

noun
white horse
Measure word · 匹

Examples

  • 白马。
    Tā zài cǎo yuán shàng qí zhe yì pǐ bái mǎ.
    He is riding a white horse on the grassland.
  • 白马。
    Chuán shuō zhōng yǒu yí wèi wáng zǐ qí bái mǎ ér lái.
    Legend has it that a prince came riding a white horse.
  • 白马。
    Zhè pǐ bái mǎ pǎo dé fēi cháng kuài.
    This white horse runs very fast.

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.

白báiwhite
马mǎhorse

白 means white, 马 means horse; together a white horse.

Characters in this word

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

白 is thought to picture either an acorn or a human head.

Open 白 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 馬; 马 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 馬 shows a horse with its head facing left, a flowing mane, and two legs standing vertically.

Open 马 →
Appears in
Animals & Mammals

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