恐龙
kǒnglóng
The English word "dinosaur" is translated into Chinese as 恐龙 (kǒnglóng).
恐龙 is a noun used to refer to prehistoric reptiles.
Meaning: prehistoric reptile (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 恐龙 is a compound of 恐 (meaning fear or dread) and 龙 (meaning dragon). Literally, it translates to "fearful dragon".
How do you pronounce it?
kǒnglóng
Did you know?
- While 龙 means 'dragon', in Chinese culture this refers to a benevolent, auspicious creature rather than the fire-breathing monsters of European myth.
- Because the second character is 龙, many children in China believe that dinosaurs are a type of dragon family.
- The term 恐龙 was a relatively recent creation in the Chinese language, coined to match Western scientific naming conventions.
Examples in context
- 和一只恐龙面对面是一段有趣的经历。Coming face to face with a dinosaur was a funny experience.This sentence is useful for describing an experience involving the word 恐龙.Tatoeba #804976 by fucongcong, translation #792316 by Ricardo14
- 我喜欢学习关于恐龙的知识.I enjoy learning about dinosaurs.
- 恐龙是已经灭绝的生物.Dinosaurs are extinct creatures.
- 他在博物馆看恐龙化石。Tā zài bówùguǎn kàn kǒng lóng huàshí.He is looking at dinosaur fossils in the museum.
- 恐龙已经在地球上灭绝了。Kǒng lóng yǐjīng zài dìqiú shàng mièjué le.Dinosaurs have already gone extinct on Earth.
Example conversation
A man and a woman are looking at a children's picture book.
- 俊杰 Junjie你看，这本画册里有很多种恐龙。Nǐ kàn, zhè běn huàcè lǐ yǒu hěnduō zhǒng kǒng lóng.Look, there are many kinds of dinosaurs in this picture book.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那些恐龙看起来真威武。Nàxiē kǒng lóng kàn qǐlái zhēn wēiwǔ.Those dinosaurs look really majestic.
- 俊杰 Junjie你最喜欢哪种恐龙？Nǐ zuì xǐhuān nǎ zhǒng kǒng lóng?Which kind of dinosaur do you like most?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我喜欢霸王龙。Wǒ xǐhuān bàwáng lóng.I like the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
