鲨

鯊
shā
沙 + 鱼

Definitions

shā shark

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 鱼 represents the meaning and 沙 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鯊.

Semantic: 鱼 Phonetic: 沙

About

鲨 is the simplified form of the traditional character 鯊. It is a phonosemantic compound: the fish radical 鱼 signals the general meaning 'aquatic animal', and 沙 (shā) gives the sound. In 鯊, 沙 is placed above 鱼. 沙 itself means 'sand', which is not a purely random phonetic choice , it alludes to the shark's rough, sandpaper-like skin, a quality well known to coastal communities. The character has always meant 'shark', used as a broad zoological term for these cartilaginous fish, and it never developed abstract or metaphorical meanings.

Example Sentences Hide

鲨鱼生活在海洋里。

Shāyú shēnghuó zài hǎiyáng lǐ.

Sharks live in the ocean.

我看到了一条大鲨鱼。

Wǒ kàn dào le yī tiáo dà shāyú.

I saw a big shark.

鲨鱼是可怕的捕食者。

Shāyú shì kěpà de bǔshí zhě.

Sharks are terrifying predators.

我们在水族馆观察鲨鱼。

Wǒmen zài shuǐzúguǎn guānchá shāyú.

We observe sharks at the aquarium.

鲨鱼的嗅觉非常灵敏。

Shāyú de xiùjué fēicháng língmǐn.

Sharks have a very sensitive sense of smell.

渔民偶然捕获了一条鲨鱼。

Yúmín ǒurán bǔhuò le yī tiáo shāyú.

The fisherman accidentally caught a shark.

保护鲨鱼对于海洋生态很重要。

Bǎohù shāyú duìyú hǎiyáng shēngtài hěn zhòngyào.

Protecting sharks is important for the marine ecosystem.

虽然鲨鱼经常被误解，但它们对维持海洋平衡起着关键作用。

Suīrán shāyú jīngcháng bèi wùjiě, dàn tāmen duì wéichí hǎiyáng pínghéng qǐzhe guānjiàn zuòyòng.

Although sharks are often misunderstood, they play a key role in maintaining ocean balance.

Related Characters

Component: 沙

莎 娑 裟 挲 痧 桫 鯊 挱

Component: 鱼

鲁 鲜 渔 鲍 稣 鲸 鳞 鳍 鲤 鳌 鳄 鳃 鳖 鳎

Example Words

鲨鱼 大白鲨 鲸鲨