gǒu
standard
In pinyin the Chinese word for "dog" is gǒu, written 狗 (gǒu). It has a falling and rising third tone. It is also called xiǎogǒu and gǒugou.
Meaning: domestic dog (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Note |
|---|---|
| gǒu | standard |
| xiǎogǒu | puppy, small dog |
| gǒugou | child talk |
Add xiǎo ("small") to get xiǎogǒu, a puppy or small dog. To talk about a pet people often say wǒ de gǒu, "my dog".
How do you pronounce it?
The vowel in gǒu sounds like the "o" in "go". Say the word with a low dip in pitch.
When do people say it?
The dog is the eleventh animal of the Chinese zodiac, so people born in a dog year are called shǔ gǒu.
Did you know?
- The animals of the Chinese zodiac come in a fixed order and the dog is number eleven, just before the pig.
Examples in context
- Wǒ yǒu yì zhī gǒu.I have a dog.
- Zhè zhī xiǎogǒu hěn kě'ài.This puppy is very cute.
- Gǒu zài yuànzi li.The dog is in the yard.
Example conversation
Hua and her neighbor Mr. Sun meet in the park with Hua's dog.
- Mr. SunNǐ de gǒu zhēn kě'ài!Your dog is so cute!
- HuaXièxie, tā jiào Dòudou.Thanks, his name is Doudou.
- Mr. SunTā jǐ suì le?How old is he?
