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恐龙 (kǒng lóng) — dinosaur; (slang, dated) ugly person

Definition

Literal meaning: 'dinosaur' — the extinct reptile. The slang sense ('ugly person') is dated and insulting; avoid using it. Always takes the measure word 头.

noun
dinosaur(slang, dated) ugly person
Measure word · 头

Examples

  • 恐龙。
    Bó wù guǎn lǐ yǒu yì tóu kǒng lóng huà shí.
    There is a dinosaur fossil in the museum.
  • 恐龙。
    Zhè zhǒng kǒng lóng zài hěn jiǔ yǐ qián jiù miè jué le.
    This kind of dinosaur went extinct a long time ago.
  • 恐龙。
    Tā yǒu hěn duō kǒng lóng wán jù.
    He has a lot of dinosaur toys.

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.

恐kǒngterrible
龙lóngdragon

恐 (terrible) and 龙 (dragon) combine to name a fearsome dragon-like creature, a dinosaur.

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢀜
𢀜𢀜恐kǒng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

恐 is written with 心 (heart). The older form pairs 心 with 𢀜; the modern form can be read as 巩 above 心.

Open 恐 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 龍; 龙 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 龍 originally drew a sacred creature with a large mouth and a snake-like body; the simplified 龙 is the form written here.

Open 龙 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Animals & Mammals

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