银狐 (yín hú) — silver fox | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

silver fox

Measure word · 只

Examples

银狐。
yín hú De máo shì yín huī sè de.
The silver fox's fur is silver-gray.
银狐。
Zhè zhī yín hú de yǎn jing fēi cháng piào liang.
This silver fox has very beautiful eyes.
银狐。
yín hú Shì hú li de yì zhǒng xī yǒu yán sè biàn zhǒng.
The silver fox is a rare color variety of the fox.

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.

银 describes the color, and 狐 is the fox, giving silver fox.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 銀; 银 is its simplified writing.

金艮銀

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

艮

艮gèn銀yín

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

The traditional form 銀 has 金, meaning metal, and 艮, used for the sound; the simplified 银 is a shorthand.

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

犭瓜狐

Meaning part形符xíngfú

犭Written in full as犬quǎndog

Sound part声符shēngfú

瓜

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

狐 uses 犭, the dog sign, to mark it as an animal, and 瓜 to give the sound.

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