狐

hú

犭 + 瓜

Definitions

hú (noun) fox

Etymology

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

Semantic: 犭 Phonetic: 瓜

About

A phono-semantic compound, 狐 consists of the semantic radical 犭 (quǎn), the 'animal radical' used for beasts and wild canines, and the phonetic 瓜 (guā, meaning 'melon'). The radical signals that it is an animal, and the phonetic contributes the sound while distinguishing it from other 犭-characters such as 狗 (dog) and 狼 (wolf). The meaning is simply 'fox', and this has remained stable. The fox features prominently in both ecology and a rich body of folklore, regularly anthropomorphized or imbued with mystical powers. In structure, it is a clear combination of a semantic radical and a phonetic component.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

那只狐狸很聪明。

Nà zhī húlì hěn cōngmíng.

That fox is very clever.

狐狸在森林里奔跑。

Húlì zài sēnlín lǐ bēnpǎo.

The fox is running in the forest.

狡猾的狐狸骗了乌鸦。

Jiǎohuá de húlì piàn le wūyā.

The cunning fox tricked the crow.

他露出了狐狸的尾巴。

Tā lòuchū le húlì de wěiba.

He revealed his fox's tail (his true nature).

这个故事里有一个狐仙。

Zhège gùshì lǐ yǒu yīgè húxiān.

There is a fox spirit in this story.

他对这个提议满心狐疑。

Tā duì zhège tíyì mǎnxīn húyí.

He was full of suspicion about this proposal.

她的眼神带着一丝狐媚。

Tā de yǎnshén dàizhe yīsī húmèi.

Her eyes carried a hint of seductive charm.

传说中，狐狸可以修炼成精。

Chuánshuō zhōng, húlì kěyǐ xiūliàn chéng jīng.

Legend says that foxes can cultivate themselves into spirits.

Related Characters

Component: 犭

Component: 瓜

狐