蛟龙 (jiāo lóng) — mythical flood dragon; a dragon-like water creature in Chinese mythology

Definition

蛟龙 is a mythological water dragon said to dwell in rivers and seas and bring floods — more aquatic and flood-linked than the general 龙, and often used in the idiom 如蛟龙得水 ('like a dragon in water') to mean thriving in the right environment.

noun
mythical flood dragona dragon-like water creature in Chinese mythology
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • ，蛟龙。
    Chuán shuō zhōng, jiāo lóng néng gòu yǐn fā hóng shuǐ.
    According to legend, the flood dragon can cause floods.
  • 蛟龙。
    Zhè fú huà miáo huì le yì tiáo jiāo lóng zài yún zhōng téng fēi.
    This painting depicts a flood dragon soaring in the clouds.
  • 蛟龙，。
    Tā rú jiāo lóng de shuǐ, zài xīn gōng sī fā huī le quán bù cái néng.
    He was like a flood dragon returning to water, fully using his talents at the new company.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

蛟jiāoflood dragon
龙lóngdragon

蛟 and 龙 are both mythical dragon-like creatures, combined to name a flood dragon.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
虫虫chóngcreature
Sound part声符shēngfú
交
交jiāo蛟jiāo
Same sound today

蛟 uses 虫 to show it is a creature and 交 to give its sound.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 龍; 龙 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 龍 originally drew a sacred creature with a large mouth and a snake-like body; the simplified 龙 is the form written here.

Open 龙 →

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