驼毛 (tuó máo) — camel hair; camel wool

Definition

noun

camel haircamel wool

驼毛，。
Zhè jiàn dà yī shì yòng tuó máo zuò de, fēi cháng nuǎn huo.
This coat is made of camel hair and is very warm.
驼毛。
Huà jiā xǐ huan yòng tuó máo zuò de huà bǐ.
Painters like using brushes made of camel hair.
驼毛，。
tuó máo Bǐ yáng máo gèng qīng, yě gèng bǎo nuǎn.
Camel hair is lighter than wool and also warmer.

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.

驼毛 combines 驼, the camel, with 毛, hair or wool.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 駝; 驼 is its simplified writing.

馬它駝

Meaning part形符xíngfú

馬馬mǎhorse

Sound part声符shēngfú

它

它tā駝tuó

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 駝 shows 馬 (horse) beside 它, which gives the sound; the simplified 驼 is a shorthand, so its parts are not historical pieces.

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

毛 is drawn as a feather or hair, with its strokes tracing the shape of the feather or hair.