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豚鼠 (tún shǔ) — guinea pig (the animal)

Definition

noun
guinea pig (the animal)
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 豚鼠，。
    Zhè zhī tún shǔ hěn kě ài, hái zi men dōu xǐ huan tā.
    This guinea pig is very cute; the children all like it.
  • 豚鼠。
    Wǒ yǎng le yì zhī tún shǔ dāng chǒng wù.
    I keep a guinea pig as a pet.
  • 豚鼠。
    tún shǔ Xǐ huan chī shū cài hé gān cǎo.
    Guinea pigs like to eat vegetables and hay.

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.

豚túnpig
鼠shǔrodent

豚 suggests a pig-like quality, and 鼠 names a rodent, together referring to the guinea pig.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

豚 is made by combining 肉 (meat) and 豕 (pig).

Open 豚 →

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

The shape of 鼠 pictures a rat: the upper part looks like an open mouth with teeth, while the lower part shows two feet on the left and a tail on the right.

Open 鼠 →
Appears in
Animals & Mammals

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