美洲狮 (Měi zhōu shī) — cougar, puma, mountain lion | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

cougarpumamountain lion

Measure word · 只

Examples

美洲狮。
Zhè zhī Měi zhōu shī zài sēn lín lǐ bǔ shí.
This cougar is hunting in the forest.
美洲狮。
Měi zhōu shī De jiào shēng fēi cháng dà.
The roar of a cougar is very loud.
美洲狮。
Wǒ zài dòng wù yuán lǐ kàn dào le yì zhī Měi zhōu shī.
I saw a cougar at the zoo.

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.

美洲America

美měiAmerica洲zhōucontinent

偏正Modifier + head

美洲 names the continent, and 狮 adds the animal, giving the lion of America.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

羊羊yángram or feathers
大大dàperson

美 shows 大, a person, wearing 羊, a headdress of feathers or ram's horn.

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

水水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

州

州zhōu洲zhōu

Same sound today

洲 is built from 水 (water) and 州, 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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 獅; 狮 is its simplified writing.

犭師獅

Meaning part形符xíngfú

犭Written in full as犬quǎndog; beast

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

Animals & Mammals

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