雄 (xióng) — (bound form) male (used in compounds for biological sex); (bound form) grand; imposing; powerful; mighty (used in compounds for scale, strength, or heroism)

Definition

A bound form (only used in compounds). Combines with nouns to mean 'male' (生物, as in 雄狮 'male lion') or 'grand / heroic / mighty' (雄伟, 英雄) — a grand, powerful quality of scale, strength, or heroism.

bound form
male (used in compounds for biological sex)grandimposingpowerfulmighty (used in compounds for scale, strength, or heroism)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Nà zhī xióng shī kàn qǐ lái fēi cháng wēi wǔ.
    That male lion looks very majestic.
  • 。
    Zhè zuò jiàn zhù zhēn shì xióng wěi zhuàng guān.
    This building is truly magnificent and grand.
  • 。
    Tā shì yí wèi liǎo bù qǐ de yīng xióng.
    He is an extraordinary hero.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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.

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