驼 (tuó) — to be hunchbacked; to have a stoop
Definition
Verb meaning 'to hunch the back', used as a stative (他的背驼了) or with 着 (驼着背走). As a noun/adj combining form, 驼 means 'camel' (骆驼).
verb
to be hunchbackedto have a stoop
Examples
- ，驼。Tā nián jì dà le, bèi yǒu diǎn tuó.He is old, his back is a bit hunched.
- 。Cháng qī fú àn gōng zuò róng yì dǎo zhì tuó bèi.Long-term desk work can easily lead to a hunched back.
- 驼。Lǎo rén tuó zhe bèi màn màn zǒu guò lái.The old man walked over slowly with a hunched back.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 駝; 驼 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
它
它tā駝tuó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 駝 shows 馬 (horse) beside 它, which gives the sound; the simplified 驼 is a shorthand, so its parts are not historical pieces.
Appears in
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