骡

騾/驘

luó

累 + 马

Definitions

luó mule; CL:匹[pǐ],頭|头[tóu]

luó variant of 騾|骡[luó]

Etymology phono-semantic

horse

Semantic: 马 Phonetic: 累

About

骡, with its traditional counterpart written as 騾, is a phono-semantic compound. It uses the left-side semantic radical 马 (simplified) or 馬 (traditional), meaning 'horse', thereby placing the character firmly within the category of equine animals. The right side features the phonetic component 累 (lěi), which dictates the sound. This character serves as the specific noun for a mule, the sterile hybrid offspring resulting from the breeding of a male donkey and a female horse. It is used exclusively for this draught animal, known for its endurance and historically utilized for agricultural labor and transportation.

Etymology Hide

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这头骡子很高大。

Zhè tóu luózi hěn gāodà.

This mule is very tall and big.

骡子是一种有用的动物。

Luózi shì yī zhǒng yǒuyòng de dòngwù.

Mules are useful animals.

农民用骡子来拉车。

Nóngmín yòng luózi lái lā chē.

Farmers use mules to pull carts.

这匹骡子能驮很重的东西。

Zhè pǐ luózi néng tuó hěn zhòng de dōngxi.

This mule can carry very heavy things.

骡子的耐力比马还要好。

Luózi de nàilì bǐ mǎ hái yào hǎo.

The endurance of mules is even better than that of horses.

在山区，骡子仍然是重要的运输工具。

Zài shānqū, luózi réngrán shì zhòngyào de yùnshū gōngjù.

In mountainous areas, mules are still important means of transportation.

由于骡子不能繁殖，它们需要人工培育。

Yóuyú luózi bù néng fánzhí, tāmen xūyào réngōng péiyù.

Since mules cannot reproduce, they need to be artificially bred.

现代机械逐渐取代了骡子在农业中的角色。

Xiàndài jīxiè zhújiàn qǔdài le luózi zài nóngyè zhōng de juésè.

Modern machinery is gradually replacing the role of mules in agriculture.

Related Characters

Component: 累

Component: 马

骡