Definitions

(noun) rabbit

Etymology

Pictograph of a rabbit.

About

The character "兔" originated as a pictographic representation of a rabbit, with its early forms emphasizing the animal's long ears and short tail through illustrative strokes. Over centuries, this depiction was gradually stylized and standardized into its current configuration, where the distinguishing dot is traditionally interpreted as the rabbit's tail, setting it apart from the structurally similar character "免". Etymologically, it remains a simple ideograph directly denoting the animal, and its semantic scope has consistently referred to the rabbit or hare without expanding into metaphorical or extended meanings. The evolution of its written form involved a process of abstraction from a detailed image to a more conventionalized symbol, yet its design retains a visual allusion to the creature's distinctive silhouette.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

子很可爱。

Tùzi hěn kě'ài.

Rabbits are very cute.

在草地上跳。

Bái tù zài cǎodì shàng tiào.

The white rabbit is jumping on the grass.

我有一只宠物子。

Wǒ yǒu yī zhǐ chǒngwù tùzi.

I have a pet rabbit.

子的耳朵又长又软。

Tùzi de ěrduo yòu cháng yòu ruǎn.

The rabbit's ears are long and soft.

妈妈用毛织了一条围巾。

Māma yòng tùmáo zhīle yī tiáo wéijīn.

Mom knitted a scarf using rabbit fur.

孩子们喜欢听关于子的故事。

Háizimen xǐhuān tīng guānyú tùzi de gùshì.

Children like to listen to stories about rabbits.

在动物园里,我们看到了一只罕见的黑色子。

Zài dòngwùyuán lǐ, wǒmen kàn dàole yī zhǐ hǎnjiàn de hēisè tùzi.

In the zoo, we saw a rare black rabbit.

为了保护子不受伤害,我们在花园里设置了一个安全区。

Wèile bǎohù tùzi bù shòu shānghài, wǒmen zài huāyuán lǐ shèzhìle yī gè ānquán qū.

To protect the rabbit from harm, we set up a safe zone in the garden.