TongTong
Sign in

胡须 (hú xū) — facial hair (beard, mustache, whiskers)

Definition

noun
facial hair (beard, mustache, whiskers)
Measure word · 根

Examples

  • 胡须。
    Tā liú le yì liǎn hú xū.
    He grew a full beard.
  • 胡须。
    Tā měi tiān dōu yào guā hú xū.
    He has to shave his beard every day.
  • 胡须。
    Tā de hú xū yòu hēi yòu mì.
    His beard is black and thick.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

胡húbeard
须xūwhiskers

胡 and 须 both refer to facial hair, together naming a beard or mustache.

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
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
古
古gǔ胡hú
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

胡 combines 古, which points to its sound, with ⺼ (肉), meaning meat or flesh.

Open 胡 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 須; 须 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 须 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (必须) it is 須; in others it is 鬚.

  • 彡彡shānhair
  • 頁頁yèhead

The traditional form 須 shows 頁 (head) with 彡 (hair) beside it, drawing a head with hair on the side, a picture of a beard or whiskers.

Open 须 →
Appears in
HSK 2.0 Level 5Body Parts

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.