龟 (guī) — tortoise, turtle
Definition
龟 (guī) is the literary/formal word for 'tortoise/turtle'; 乌龟 is the everyday spoken form. Most common in set phrases and written contexts.
noun
tortoiseturtle
Measure word · 只
Easily confused
Examples
- 龟，。Wǒ yǎng le yì zhī guī, tā hěn kě ài.I raised a turtle; it's very cute.
- 龟。guī Shì cháng shòu de xiàng zhēng.The tortoise is a symbol of longevity.
- 龟。Hǎi guī bǐ lù guī dà hěn duō.Sea turtles are much larger than land tortoises.
Origin
Pictograph六书liùshū
象形xiàngxíngA drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 龜; 龟 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 龜 came from a drawing of a turtle seen from the side and above; the simplified 龟 is a later abbreviation.
Appears in
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