Definitions
(noun)
horse
(noun)
chess knight (Chinese or Western chess)
Etymology
Simplified form of 馬. Pictograph of a horse.
About
The character for horse originated as a pictograph capturing the essential shape of the animal, which over centuries of use condensed into the traditional form "馬", a structure whose strokes schematically suggest a horse with a raised mane, a body, and four legs. This graphical representation eventually yielded a simplified form, "马", through a reduction of strokes that preserved the basic silhouette while prioritizing writing efficiency. Throughout its development, the character's primary denotation has remained the equine species, yet it has also acquired extended applications within compound words, where it imparts notions of speed, power, or labor, reflecting the horse's historical roles. The structural shift from the more intricate traditional character to its streamlined version exemplifies a continual adjustment in the writing system toward functional clarity without a loss of core meaning.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
妈妈骑马。
那匹马跑得很快。
哥哥买了一匹小马。
码头停着很多轮船。
我马上就去帮助你。
马拉松比赛需要耐力。
马克思的理论很深刻。
马来西亚的气候很炎热。