狼

láng

犭 + 良

HSK 3.0Level 6

Definitions

láng (noun) wolf

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 犭 represents the meaning and 良 represents the sound.

Semantic: 犭 Phonetic: 良

About

狼 is a standard phono-semantic compound character that writes the word for 'wolf'. In its composition, the semantic radical 犭 (quǎn), a reduced form of 犬 (dog), classifies the character among beasts, predatory mammals, and wild animals. The phonetic component on the right, 良 (liáng), indicates the pronunciation. An interesting tension arises because 良 as an independent character means 'good' or 'virtuous', sharply contrasting with the wolf's fierce reputation. Throughout its use, 狼 has referred to the wild canine and commonly appears in compound words and idioms to express cruel, greedy, or predatory human behavior, embodying the cultural perception of the wolf as a dangerous, ruthless creature.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

森林里有一只狼。

Sēn lín lǐ yǒu yī zhī láng.

There is a wolf in the forest.

狼在晚上嚎叫。

Láng zài wǎn shàng háo jiào.

Wolves howl at night.

这只狼看起来很凶猛。

Zhè zhī láng kàn qǐ lái hěn xiōng měng.

This wolf looks very fierce.

我们听到远处狼的叫声。

Wǒ men tīng dào yuǎn chù láng de jiào shēng.

We heard the sound of wolves in the distance.

狼群正在追逐一只鹿。

Láng qún zhèng zài zhuī zhú yī zhī lù.

The wolf pack is chasing a deer.

如果没有狼，生态平衡会被破坏。

Rú guǒ méi yǒu láng, shēng tài píng héng huì bèi pò huài.

If there were no wolves, the ecological balance would be disrupted.

那只受伤的狼艰难地寻找食物。

Nà zhī shòu shāng de láng jiān nán de xún zhǎo shí wù.

That injured wolf is struggling to find food.

狼的智慧在动物界中是众所周知的。

Láng de zhì huì zài dòng wù jiè zhōng shì zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī de.

The wisdom of wolves is well-known in the animal kingdom.

Related Characters

Component: 犭

Component: 良

狼