About
Originally an ideogram, 牡 depicts an animal alongside a male reproductive organ to indicate a male beast. Oracle bone inscriptions show the animal could vary , 牛, 豕, 鹿, 羊, or 馬 , but the character later settled on the 'cow' radical 牛 on the left. The right side, now written 土 (earth), was once a pictograph of a penis (丄), which served as the semantic indicator for maleness. The character broadly means a male animal, typically a bull, and applies to males of many species. It also appears as the first syllable in the word for peony (牡丹), a usage unrelated to its literal meaning.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这朵牡丹很美丽。
我喜欢红色的牡丹。
花园里种了许多牡丹。
牡蛎是一种海鲜。
他点了烤牡蛎作为前菜。
牡马在草原上奔跑。
牡丹花的香气令人愉悦。
这家餐厅的蒜蓉牡蛎很有名。
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