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水牛 (shuǐ niú) — water buffalo; Water Ox (50th year in the Chinese sexagenary cycle)

Definition

In the Chinese zodiac, the ten Heavenly Stems pair with the twelve animals; 水 (water) qualifies 牛 (Ox), giving the Water Ox year in the 60-year cycle. This refers to the animal itself, not the constellation.

noun
water buffaloWater Ox (50th year in the Chinese sexagenary cycle)
Measure word · 头

Examples

  • ，水牛。
    Zài dōng nán yà, shuǐ niú shì zhòng yào de láo dòng dòng wù.
    In Southeast Asia, water buffalo are important work animals.
  • 水牛，。
    Míng nián shì shuǐ niú nián, wǒ dǎ suàn huàn yí fèn gōng zuò.
    Next year is the Year of the Water Ox, and I plan to change jobs.
  • 。
    Nóng mín yòng shuǐ niú lái zhòng dì.
    Farmers use water buffalo to farm the land.

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.

水shuǐwater
牛niúox

水 gives water and 牛 gives ox, so together they name the water-dwelling ox.

Characters in this word

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

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Open 水 →

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

牛 is drawn as a bull's head, with two horns and two ears.

Open 牛 →
Appears in
Animals & Mammals

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