Definitions

zhū (noun) pig; hog; swine

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character for pig, traditionally written as "豬", is structured with the component "豕" representing a hog and "者" serving as a phonetic element to guide pronunciation. This form later saw a structural modification resulting in the simplified version "猪", where the specific "豕" component was exchanged for the more general animal radical "犭", while the phonetic "者" was retained. The meaning of the character has consistently referred to the domestic pig since its early use, with the alteration in components reflecting a graphic simplification rather than a shift in semantic value.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这是一头

Zhè shì yī tóu zhū.

This is a pig.

在农场里。

Zhū zài nóngchǎng lǐ.

The pig is on the farm.

我们吃肉。

Wǒmen chī zhūròu.

We eat pork.

很可爱。

Xiǎo zhū hěn kě'ài.

The piglet is very cute.

农民养了许多

Nóngmín yǎngle xǔduō zhū.

Farmers raised many pigs.

肉是常见的肉类。

Zhūròu shì chángjiàn de ròulèi.

Pork is a common type of meat.

这只正在泥地里打滚。

Zhè zhī zhū zhèngzài nídì lǐ dǎgǔn.

This pig is rolling in the mud.

业在农村经济中很重要。

Yǎng zhū yè zài nóngcūn jīngjì zhōng hěn zhòngyào.

The pig farming industry is very important in the rural economy.