热狗 (rè gǒu) — hot dog | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

hot dog

Measure word · 个

Examples

热狗。
Wǒ zhōng wǔ chī le yí gè rè gǒu.
I ate a hot dog for lunch.
热狗。
Zhè jiā diàn de rè gǒu wèi dào tè bié hǎo.
This shop's hot dogs taste especially good.
热狗。
Hái zi xǐ huan chī rè gǒu pèi fān qié jiàng.
Children like to eat hot dogs with ketchup.

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.

热 gives the hot sense, and 狗 gives the dog sense in this food name.

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 熱; 热 is its simplified writing.

埶灬熱

Meaning part形符xíngfú

灬Written in full as火huǒfire

Sound part声符shēngfú

埶

埶yì熱rè

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 熱 pairs 埶 with 火 (written as 灬) to show heat, while 埶 gives a sound.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

句

句jù狗gǒu

Same sound today

狗 combines 犬, meaning dog, with 句, which gives the sound.

Appears in

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