Definition
鞍 (ān) is a bound form meaning 'saddle' — it cannot be used as a standalone noun. You'll always see it as part of a compound word, most commonly in 马鞍 (mǎ'ān 'horse saddle') and 鞍马 (ānmǎ 'pommel horse, gymnastic apparatus' or 'horse and saddle'). Unlike English 'saddle', which is a free-standing noun, Chinese 鞍 must attach to another morpheme (usually 马) to form a complete noun.
b.f.
saddle (bound form, appears only in compounds)
Examples
- 。Wǒ mǎi le yí fù xīn de mǎ ān.I bought a new saddle.
- ，。Tā xǐhuan qí mǎ, duì mǎ ān hěn jiǎngjiu.He likes horseback riding and is very particular about saddles.
- 。Tǐcāo yùndòngyuán zài ān mǎ shàng wánchéng le gāo nándù dòngzuò.The gymnast performed a difficult move on the pommel horse.
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