长颈鹿
chángjǐnglù
The Chinese word for giraffe is 长颈鹿 (chángjǐnglù).
长颈鹿 is the noun used to refer to the mammal.
Meaning: mammal (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of three parts: 长 (long), 颈 (neck) and 鹿 (deer).
How do you pronounce it?
chángjǐnglù
Did you know?
- When the first giraffe arrived in China via Zheng He's voyages in the 15th century, it was greeted as a 麒麟 'qilin', a legendary creature symbolizing prosperity.
- The word 鹿 in 长颈鹿 means 'deer', reflecting an early Chinese belief that giraffes were a type of mythical qilin or long-necked deer.
- The character 长 (long) can also be pronounced 'zhǎng', meaning 'to grow' or 'leader', which can cause confusion in spoken wordplay or puns.
Examples in context
- 长颈鹿是怎么叫的？What sound does a giraffe make?This sentence is useful for asking about the sound a 长颈鹿 makes.Tatoeba #8955171 by crescat, translation #2921563 by CK
- 他们发现了一具长颈鹿的尸体。They found a giraffe carcass.This sentence is useful for describing finding the carcass of a 长颈鹿.Tatoeba #10713944 by AwabiJan, translation #8546911 by Amastan
- 长颈鹿放走了。The giraffe was released.This sentence is useful for stating that a 长颈鹿 was released.Tatoeba #9408611 by BobbyLee, translation #8546641 by Amastan
- 这幅画上有一只 长脖子 的动物，是 长颈长腿 的 长颈鹿 。There's an animal with a long neck in this painting, it's a giraffe with long legs.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are visiting the zoo together.
- 浩然 Haoran你看，那边有一只长颈鹿！Nǐ kàn, nàbiān yǒu yī zhǐ chángjǐnglù!Look, there is a giraffe over there!
- 佳怡 Jiayi哇，它的脖子真的好长。Wa, tā de bózi zhēnde hǎo cháng.Wow, its neck is really long.
- 浩然 Haoran长颈鹿是世界上最高的动物。Chángjǐnglù shì shìjiè shàng zuìgāo de dòngwù.Giraffes are the tallest animals in the world.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我想去喂它吃叶子。Wǒ xiǎng qù wèi tā chī yèzi.I want to go feed it some leaves.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
