驴 (lǘ) — donkey; a stubborn or stupid person (insult)
Definition
驴 (lǘ) means 'donkey' — a farm animal similar to a horse but smaller. Used as an insult, it calls someone stubborn or stupid.
noun
donkeya stubborn or stupid person (insult)
Measure word · 头
Examples
- 驴。Nà ge nóng mín yǎng le yì tóu lǘ.That farmer raised a donkey.
- 驴，。Bié nà me lǘ pí qi, hǎo hǎo shāng liang.Don't be so stubborn (like a donkey), let's discuss properly.
- ，驴。Zài gǔ dài, lǘ shì zhòng yào de jiāo tōng gōng jù.In ancient times, donkeys were important means of transportation.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 驢; 驴 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
盧
盧lú驢lǘ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 驢 uses 馬 (horse) to show the meaning and 盧 to give the sound; the simplified 驴 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not original.
Appears in
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