雄鸡 (xióng jī) — rooster

Definition

雄鸡 is the formal word for a rooster — 'male chicken'. 母鸡 is the matching word for a hen.

noun
rooster
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 雄鸡。
    Měi tiān zǎo shàng zhè zhī xióng jī dōu huì dǎ míng.
    Every morning this rooster crows.
  • 雄鸡。
    Nóng cūn yǒu hěn duō xióng jī hé mǔ jī.
    In the countryside there are many roosters and hens.
  • 雄鸡。
    Shí èr shēng xiào zhōng xióng jī dài biǎo chéng shí hé yǒng gǎn.
    In the Chinese zodiac, the rooster represents honesty and courage.

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.

雄xióngmale
鸡jīchicken

雄 (male) combines with 鸡 (chicken) to mean a rooster.

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
隹隹zhuī
Sound part声符shēngfú
厷
厷gōng雄xióng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

雄 is formed by putting 隹 together with 厷, with 厷 giving the character's sound.

Open 雄 →

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 雞; 鸡 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuīshort-tailed bird
Sound part声符shēngfú
奚
奚xī雞jī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 雞 pairs 奚, which gives the sound, with 隹, a short-tailed bird. The simplified 鸡 is a later shorthand, and its right side is not the historical 奚.

Open 鸡 →

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