雪豹 (xuě bào) — snow leopard

Definition

noun
snow leopard
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 雪豹。
    xuě bào Shì yì zhǒng shēng huó zài gāo shān de dòng wù.
    The snow leopard is an animal that lives in high mountains.
  • 雪豹。
    Wǒ zài dòng wù yuán jiàn guò yì zhī xuě bào.
    I saw a snow leopard at the zoo.
  • 雪豹。
    xuě bào De máo pí fēi cháng piào liang.
    The snow leopard's fur is very beautiful.

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.

雪xuěsnow
豹bàoleopard

雪 suggests snow or snowy coloring, and 豹 is a leopard.

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
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
彗
彗huì雪xuě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

雪 pairs 雨, showing rain, with 彗, giving the sound.

Open 雪 →

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
豸豸zhìbeast; creature
Sound part声符shēngfú
勺
勺sháo豹bào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

豹 pairs 豸, a mark for a beast or creature, with 勺, which gives the sound.

Open 豹 →

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