色狼 (sè láng) — lecher, pervert | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A pejorative slang noun for a man who sexually harasses or assaults others — literally 'lust-wolf'. Stronger and more insulting than the neutral terms for harassment.

noun

lecherpervert

Examples

色狼，。
Nà ge nán rén shì gè sè láng, nǐ yào xiǎo xīn yì diǎn.
That man is a pervert; you need to be careful.
色狼，。
Dì tiě shàng yù dào le yí gè sè láng, dà jiā dōu xià dé duǒ kāi le.
We encountered a pervert on the subway, and everyone was scared and moved away.
色狼，。
Wǎng luò shàng yǒu hěn duō sè láng, bú yào suí biàn tòu lù gè rén xìn xī.
There are many perverts online; don't casually reveal personal information.

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.

色 describes lust, and 狼 paints the person as a predatory wolf.

Characters in this word

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

爪爪zhuǎclaw; hand
卩卩jiékneeling person

色 pairs 爪 (a hand) with 卩 (a kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on the kneeling person.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

犭良狼

Meaning part形符xíngfú

犭Written in full as犬quǎn

Sound part声符shēngfú

良

良liáng狼láng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 犭 (full form 犬) shows a dog-like animal. The right part 良 gives the sound.

Appears in

People (General)

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