鱼尾狮
yúwěishī
The English phrase Merlion is translated into Chinese as 鱼尾狮 (yúwěishī).
鱼尾狮 refers to the mythical creature with a lion's head and a fish's body that serves as the official mascot of Singapore.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is a compound of 鱼 (fish), 尾 (tail) and 狮 (lion), literally meaning "fish tail lion".
How do you pronounce it?
yúwěishī
Did you know?
- While 鱼尾狮 describes a fish-tailed lion, the term 鱼 is also used in Chinese to signify 'surplus' or 'abundance' because the words sound identical. This gives the mascot an unintended but lucky meaning of prosperity.
- In Chinese calligraphy, the character 狮 contains the radical 犭, which is used for almost all four-legged animals. This marks the creature as a beast first, despite its aquatic fish tail.
- While 鱼尾狮 is the official term, the mascot is often associated with the Chinese concept of 麒麟 (qilin), another mythical composite creature that symbolizes prosperity and luck.
Examples in context
- 在新加坡有一座著名的鱼尾狮。There is a famous Merlion in Singapore.
- 那个鱼尾狮很壮观。Nàge Yúwěishī hěn zhuàngguān.That Merlion is very magnificent.
- 我想在鱼尾狮前拍照。Wǒ xiǎng zài Yúwěishī qián pāizhào.I want to take a photo in front of the Merlion.
- 鱼尾狮是新加坡的标志。Yúwěishī shì Xīnjiāpō de biāozhì.The Merlion is the symbol of Singapore.
Example conversation
Two friends are planning their sightseeing trip in Singapore.
- 梓涵 Zihan浩然，我们明天去哪儿？Hàorán, wǒmen míngtiān qù nǎr?Haoran, where are we going tomorrow?
- 浩然 Haoran我们去公园看鱼尾狮吧。Wǒmen qù gōngyuán kàn Yúwěishī ba.Let's go to the park to see the Merlion.
- 梓涵 Zihan太好了，我也想去那里。Tài hǎole, wǒ yě xiǎng qù nàlǐ.Great, I want to go there too.
- 浩然 Haoran没问题，明天见，梓涵。Méi wèntí, míngtiān jiàn, Zǐhán.No problem, see you tomorrow, Zihan.
