noun HSK 2
dog
Meaning
狗 is the common word for dog in Mandarin Chinese. It refers to domesticated dogs of all breeds and sizes. The character combines the radical 犭(animal) with 句 (gōu, phonetic component), indicating it's a type of animal.
Usage
狗 is the standard neutral term for dogs. While generally neutral, in some contexts calling a person 狗 can be insulting. Native speakers commonly use diminutive forms like 狗狗 (gǒugou) or 小狗 (xiǎo gǒu) when speaking affectionately about dogs.
Examples
- 01我家养了一只小狗。.My family has a puppy.
- 02他每天早上都去公园遛狗。.He goes to the park to walk his dog every morning.
Measure words
- 只一只狗
- 条一条狗
Common collocations
- 养狗to raise/keep a dog
- 遛狗to walk a dog
- 狗叫dog barking
- 导盲犬/导盲狗/guide dog
Origin
The character 狗 combines 犭(quǎn, the animal radical derived from 犬 meaning dog) with 句 (gōu) as a phonetic component. The left radical indicates it's an animal, while the right provides pronunciation guidance.