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绵羊 (mián yáng) — sheep

Definition

noun
sheep
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 绵羊。
    Nà zhī mián yáng hěn bái.
    That sheep is very white.
  • 绵羊。
    Shān shàng yǒu hěn duō mián yáng.
    There are many sheep on the mountain.
  • 绵羊。
    Zhè xiē mián yáng zài chī cǎo.
    These sheep are eating grass.

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.

绵miánsoft woolly
羊yángsheep

绵 describes the soft wool, and 羊 names the animal.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 绵 →

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

The shape of 羊 comes from a drawing of a ram's head.

Open 羊 →
Appears in
Animals & Mammals

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