驴

馿/驢

lǘ

户 + 马

Definitions

lú (noun) donkey

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 马 represents the meaning and 户 represents the sound. Simplified form of 驢.

Semantic: 马 Phonetic: 户

About

驴, the simplified form of 驢, is a phono-semantic compound. Its left component, the horse radical 马 (simplified from 馬), classes it among equines, while the right component 户 provides a phonetic cue, having simplified the traditional phonetic 盧. The traditional 驢 features 馬 and 盧. The character's single meaning is 'donkey' or 'ass,' a domesticated equine used historically for transport, draft labor, and agriculture. The meaning is purely literal and zoological, without any abstract or figurative development.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

农场里有一头驴。

Nóngchǎng lǐ yǒu yī tóu lǘ.

There is a donkey on the farm.

驴在草地上吃草。

Lǘ zài cǎodì shàng chī cǎo.

The donkey is eating grass on the grassland.

驴肉火烧很好吃。

Lǘròu huǒshāo hěn hǎo chī.

Donkey meat burger is very delicious.

他是我的驴友。

Tā shì wǒ de lǚyǒu.

He is my travel buddy.

那头灰色的驴很温顺。

Nà tóu huīsè de lǘ hěn wēnshùn.

That gray donkey is very gentle.

驴拉着车走在山路上。

Lǘ lā zhe chē zǒu zài shānlù shàng.

The donkey is pulling a cart walking on the mountain road.

如果你去旅行，可以找几个驴友。

Rúguǒ nǐ qù lǚxíng, kěyǐ zhǎo jǐ gè lǚyǒu.

If you go traveling, you can find some travel buddies.

在偏远地区，驴仍然是重要的交通工具。

Zài piānyuǎn dìqū, lǘ réngrán shì zhòngyào de jiāotōng gōngjù.

In remote areas, donkeys are still important means of transportation.

Related Characters

Component: 户

Component: 马

驴