狮子 (shī zi) — lion (the animal); Leo (astrological sign)

Definition

noun

lion (the animal)Leo (astrological sign)

Measure word · 只

狮子。
Wǒ zài dòng wù yuán lǐ kàn dào le liǎng tóu shī zi.
I saw two lions at the zoo.
，。
Tā shì shī zi zuò de, suǒ yǐ xìng gé bǐ jiào wài xiàng.
He is a Leo, so his personality is relatively outgoing.
狮子。
Zhè zhī shī zi zài cǎo dì shàng xiū xi.
This lion is resting on the grass.

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

狮 gives the meaning 'lion' and 子 completes the familiar form.

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 獅; 狮 is its simplified writing.

犭師獅

Meaning part形符xíngfú

犭Written in full as犬quǎndog; beast

Sound part声符shēngfú

師

師shī獅shī

Same sound today

The traditional form 獅 pairs 犭 (dog; beast) with 師, which gives the sound; the simplified 狮 is a shorthand.

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

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Appears in