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黄鼠狼 (huáng shǔ láng) — Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica), also called yellow weasel

Definition

Chinese name for the Siberian (yellow) weasel, Mustela sibirica. Famous from the saying 黄鼠狼给鸡拜年——没安好心 (“a weasel wishing the chicken a Happy New Year — up to no good”), used to call out hidden bad intentions.

noun
Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica)also called yellow weasel
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 黄鼠狼。
    huáng shǔ láng Zài yě wài zhǔ yào yǐ lǎo shǔ wèi shí.
    The Siberian weasel mainly feeds on mice in the wild.
  • “黄鼠狼——”。
    Rén men cháng shuō "huáng shǔ láng gěi jī bài nián —— méi ān hǎo xīn".
    People often say, 'A weasel paying a New Year visit to a chicken — harboring no good intentions.'
  • 黄鼠狼。
    Zhè zhǒng huáng shǔ láng de pí máo zài shì chǎng shàng hěn shòu huān yíng.
    The fur of this weasel is very popular in the market.

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.

黄huángyellow
鼠狼rat-wolf
鼠shǔrat狼lángwolf
联合Coordinate

黄 gives the yellow coloring, while 鼠 and 狼 describe a small, fierce animal.

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 黃; 黄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
炗
炗guāng黃huáng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 黃 pairs 田 (field) with 炗 (light), which gives the sound; the simplified 黄 is a shorthand and its parts are not historical components.

Open 黄 →

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 →

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
犭Written in full as犬quǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng狼láng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 犭 (full form 犬) shows a dog-like animal. The right part 良 gives the sound.

Open 狼 →
Appears in
Animals & Mammals

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