Definitions

shī (bound form) lion

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character for lion, "狮", is a later development derived from its traditional form "獅". Its structure combines the semantic component "犭", which indicates an animal, with the phonetic component "師" (simplified to "师" in the modern form), which originally provided the sound. This character was created through the process of phonetic loan, as the ancient Chinese term for the lion was a loanword from a foreign language, and the character "師" was initially borrowed solely for its sound to represent the animal. The animal radical was subsequently added to create a distinct character that specifically denoted the lion, differentiating it from the original meanings of "師" such as "teacher" or "army". Over time, this compounded form became the standard written representation for the animal, with its meaning firmly fixed on the lion.

Example Sentences Hide

那只子很威猛。

Nà zhī shīzi hěn wēiměng.

That lion is very fierce.

公园门口有石头子。

Gōngyuán ménkǒu yǒu shítou shīzi.

There are stone lions at the park entrance.

子是草原上的王者。

Shīzi shì cǎoyuán shàng de wáng zhě.

The lion is the king of the grassland.

表演非常精彩。

Wǔshī biǎoyǎn fēicháng jīngcǎi.

The lion dance performance is very exciting.

这尊青铜子是文物。

Zhè zūn qīngtóng shīzi shì wénwù.

This bronze lion is a cultural relic.

子捕获了一头羚羊。

Shīzi bǔhuò le yī tóu língyáng.

The lion caught an antelope.

他有着子般的勇气。

Tā yǒu zhe shīzi bān de yǒngqì.

He has lion-like courage.

摄影师在拍摄群捕食。

Shèyǐngshī zài pāishè shī qún bǔshí.

The photographer is filming the pride of lions hunting.