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木马 (mù mǎ) — vaulting horse (gymnastics apparatus); hobbyhorse; rocking horse (children's toy); Wood Horse (31st year in the Chinese Sexagenary Cycle)

Definition

Literally 'wooden horse,' this noun covers three distinct senses: the gymnastics vaulting horse, a child's rocking horse / hobbyhorse, and the Wood Horse year of the Chinese zodiac cycle. The context (体育课, child, or 年) tells you which is meant.

noun
vaulting horse (gymnastics apparatus)hobbyhorserocking horse (children's toy)Wood Horse (31st year in the Chinese Sexagenary Cycle)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 木马。
    Tā zài tǐ yù kè shàng liàn xí tiào mù mǎ.
    She practiced vaulting over the horse in PE class.
  • 木马。
    Hái zi zuò zài mù mǎ shàng yáo lái yáo qù.
    The child sat on the rocking horse and swayed back and forth.
  • 木马，。
    Jīn nián shì mù mǎ nián, shì hé kāi shǐ xīn jì huà.
    This year is the Wood Horse year, a good time to start new plans.

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.

木mùwood
马mǎhorse

木 denotes wood, and 马 denotes a horse, so the phrase names a wooden horse.

Characters in this word

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

木 is drawn as a tree, with branches above and roots below.

Open 木 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 馬; 马 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 馬 shows a horse with its head facing left, a flowing mane, and two legs standing vertically.

Open 马 →
Appears in
Games & PuzzlesSports & Athletics

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