兽 shòu beast
beast; animal; bestial
How to remember 兽: 丷 horns + 田 field + 𠮛 piled up = beast. On the school trip two horns rise over the field, and the city kids stand piled up behind their teacher, staring at the beast.
Component breakdown
兽 = 𬎿 + 𠮛 piled up
- 𬎿
- 丷 horns
- 田 field
- 𠮛 piled up
On the school trip two horns rise over the field, and the city kids stand piled up behind their teacher, staring at the beast.
How it is used
- A four-legged wild beast - 野兽 (yěshòu) wild animal, 猛兽 (měngshòu) a fierce beast, 兽医 (shòuyī) veterinarian.
- Carries a 'brutish, savage' overtone in figurative use - 兽性 (shòuxìng) bestial nature, 人面兽心 a human face with a beast's heart.
- 飞禽走兽 (fēiqín-zǒushòu) = birds of the air and beasts of the field, i.e. wildlife generally.