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种马 (zhǒng mǎ) — stud horse; stallion

Definition

noun
stud horsestallion
Measure word · 匹

Examples

  • 种马。
    Zhè pǐ zhǒng mǎ shì nóng chǎng lǐ zuì hǎo de.
    This stud horse is the best on the farm.
  • 种马。
    Tā huā le hěn duō qián mǎi yì pǐ zhǒng mǎ.
    He spent a lot of money to buy a stallion.
  • 种马。
    Nà pǐ zhǒng mǎ de tǐ xíng fēi cháng jiàn zhuàng.
    That stud horse's physique is very strong.

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.

种zhǒngbreeding
马mǎhorse

The idea of breeding in 种 combined with 马 gives a horse kept for breeding.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
禾禾hérice
Sound part声符shēngfú
中
中zhōng种zhǒng
Same sound today

种 pairs 禾, which shows rice or grain and fits meanings like plant and seed, with 中, which gives its sound.

Open 种 →

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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