河马
hé mǎ
The Chinese word for hippo is 河马 (hé mǎ).
河马 refers to a large, semiaquatic mammal with a wide mouth and grey skin that lives in Africa.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of the characters for 'river' (河) and 'horse' (马), literally meaning 'river horse'.
How do you pronounce it?
hé mǎ
Did you know?
- The Chinese name 河马 is a direct translation of the Ancient Greek word 'hippopotamos', which also means 'river horse'.
- In Chinese internet slang, the character 马 ('horse') is sometimes used in puns because it sounds similar to words for 'mother' or 'scolding' depending on the tone.
- The character 马 (horse) in 河马 is a pictograph that originated from drawings of a horse's mane and body.
Examples in context
- 我在动物园看到一只河马。I saw a hippo at the zoo.
- 那只河马正在睡觉。Nà zhǐ hémǎ zhèngzài shuìjiào.That hippo is sleeping.
- 河马的皮肤很厚。Hémǎ de pífū hěn hòu.A hippo's skin is very thick.
- 动物园里有一只河马。Dòngwùyuán lǐ yǒu yī zhǐ hémǎ.There is a hippo in the zoo.
Example conversation
A man and a woman are watching a nature documentary together.
- 雨婷 Yuting你看，那只河马真大！Nǐ kàn, nà zhǐ hémǎ zhēn dà!Look, that hippo is so big!
- 伟 Wei是的，它看起来很强壮。Shì de, tā kàn qǐlái hěn qiángzhuàng.Yes, it looks very strong.
- 雨婷 Yuting它在水里游泳呢。Tā zài shuǐ lǐ yóuyǒng ne.It is swimming in the water.
- 伟 Wei它真的很可爱。Tā zhēn de hěn kě'ài.It is really cute.
