About
The character 熊, meaning "bear", originates from the earlier character 能 which itself initially represented a bear-like animal. To create a distinct graph for the animal as 能 gradually acquired the abstract meaning of "ability" or "power", the component 火 (fire) was added beneath 能, forming the compound character 熊. In this traditional structure, 能 primarily provides phonetic value while 火 serves as a differentiating radical, though the exact rationale for the fire element is not definitively established. This graphical differentiation led to a semantic shift where 能 lost its zoological reference and became associated solely with capability, while 熊 was firmly assigned the meaning of the bear, a designation it carries in modern usage.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
森林里有一只熊。
熊猫是中国的国宝。
那个熊孩子很调皮。
熊在冬天会冬眠。
我们去看熊表演吧。
股市最近进入了熊市。
虽然熊看起来很可爱，但它们是危险的动物。
为了保护熊的栖息地，政府建立了自然保护区。