胎 (tāi) — (noun) tire (loanword); (noun) fetus; (classifier) for litters of animals (puppies, kittens, etc.)
Definition
Rare as a standalone at HSK 7 — learners will mainly meet it inside 轮胎 (tire), 胎儿 (fetus), and 胚胎 (embryo). As a classifier, it counts litters of newborn animals. Compare 水分 ('padding/exaggeration'), which is figurative, not literal.
noun
tire (loanword)fetus
classifier
for litters of animals (puppies, kittens, etc.)
Measure word · 个
Examples
- 胎。Wǒ de chē xū yào huàn tāi le.My car needs new tires.
- ，。Tā huái yùn sān gè yuè le, tāi ér hěn jiàn kāng.She is three months pregnant, and the fetus is healthy.
- 胎。Māo mā ma shēng le sān tāi xiǎo māo.The mother cat gave birth to a litter of three kittens.
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