狼
láng/lɑŋ³⁵/
The English word "wolf" is translated into Chinese as 狼 (láng).
Meaning: animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 狼 | láng | /lɑŋ³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /naŋ²¹/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 狼 | lông | /lɔŋ²¹³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Nan'an, Hui'an, Zhangpu, Changtai, Klang, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese, Yongchun) /lɔŋ¹³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Nan'an, Hui'an, Zhangpu, Changtai, Klang, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese, Yongchun) |
Hokkien |
The term refers to the animal (noun).
Which one should you use?
In Dungan, there are different forms used: лон, мулон and лонвазы. In Hokkien, the word is 狼.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The forms лон, мулон and лонвазы are specific to the Dungan language. The form 狼 is used in Hokkien.
How do you pronounce it?
The Hokkien form 狼 is pronounced /lɑŋ³⁵/.
Did you know?
- Ancient Chinese texts sometimes associated the 狼 with the ghosts of people who died violently or unmarried, believing they could transform into these animals.
- While the character 狼 is used for the animal, the term 狼狈 (literally 'wolf and raccoon dog') is used to describe someone in a wretched or embarrassed state.
- In Chinese culture, the 狼 is often used as a symbol of greed and cruelty rather than a noble predator. This leads to the common idiom 狼心狗肺, which translates to 'wolf heart and dog lungs' to describe someone truly heartless.
Examples in context
- 狼靠腿吃飯。A wolf is fed by its legs.This sentence illustrates how a wolf is described in relation to its legs using 狼.Tatoeba #13523745 by LeviHighway, translation #12634572 by mollydot
- 雅妮像中了圈套的狼一样惊慌Yanni panicked like a wolf in a snare.This sentence uses 狼 in a simile to describe someone panicking like a wolf in a snare.Tatoeba #12615413 by Enzo, translation #9337430 by Amastan
- 汤姆把他的狗认成狼了，所以把它毙了。Tom shot his own dog, thinking it was a wolf.This sentence shows a situation where someone mistakes a dog for a 狼.Tatoeba #13899554 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #8416545 by CK
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Yu Ting are watching a nature documentary.
- 雨婷 Yuting這隻狼真大。zhè zhī láng zhēn dà.This wolf is really big.
- 伟 Wei對啊，它是狼群的頭領。duì a, tā shì láng qún de tóu lǐng.Yeah, it is the leader of the wolf pack.
- 雨婷 Yuting牠看起來很威風。tā kàn qǐ lái hěn wēi fēng.It looks very majestic.
- 伟 Wei但是狼很危險。dàn shì láng hěn wēi xiǎn.But wolves are dangerous.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wolf” translations and entries 狼, 狼, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
