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" has its origins in the traditional form "豬", which is composed of the semantic component "豕", itself meaning a pig or boar, combined with the phonetic element "者" to suggest its pronunciation. Over centuries, the character's structure saw a gradual alteration where the original "豕" component was sometimes replaced or conflated with the "犭" dog radical, a shift that reflected a categorical grouping with other terrestrial animals rather than a change in core meaning. The essential definition of the character has remained consistently tied to the domesticated swine, though in classical usage it specifically denoted the young or smaller pig, with broader terms existing for the adult animal. The evolution to the modern form "猪" streamlined the character while preserving its fundamental phonetic and semantic links to its traditional predecessor.

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.