跳鼠 (tiào shǔ) — jerboa; jumping mouse

Definition

noun
jerboajumping mouse
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 跳鼠。
    tiào shǔ Zài shā mò lǐ tiào dé hěn kuài.
    Jerboas jump very fast in the desert.
  • 跳鼠。
    Wǒ zuó tiān zài dòng wù yuán kàn jiàn le yì zhī tiào shǔ.
    I saw a jerboa at the zoo yesterday.
  • 跳鼠。
    tiào shǔ De wěi ba hěn cháng.
    The jerboa's tail is very long.

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.

跳tiàojump
鼠shǔmouse

The name describes a 鼠, mouse, that 跳, jumps.

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
足足zúfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
兆
兆zhào跳tiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

跳 pairs 足 (foot) with 兆, which supplies the sound; the foot part shows the action is done with the feet.

Open 跳 →

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

The shape of 鼠 pictures a rat: the upper part looks like an open mouth with teeth, while the lower part shows two feet on the left and a tail on the right.

Open 鼠 →

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