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獸 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
獸shòubeast, animal; bestialx, 19 strokes, radical 犬
shòu(shou4) T4
  1. 1beast, animal; bestial
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

獸shòu(shou4)

The character 獸 (shòu) refers to a beast or wild animal. It is often used in contexts discussing wildlife, zoology, or metaphorically to describe bestial behavior in humans. This term conveys a sense of ferocity or untamed nature.

Strokes19Radical犬
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, beasts like the tiger (虎, hǔ) and dragon (龙, lóng) hold significant symbolic meaning, representing power and strength. The use of 獸 can evoke these cultural references, especially in literature and folklore.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'show' where wild beasts perform. The character 獸 contains the radical '犭' (quǎn), which relates to animals, and sounds like 'shòu'—think of a loud 'shout' from a beast in the wild.

Meanings of 獸

shòu(shou4)
1beast, animal; bestial
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 獸

獸Simplified
19Strokes
犬Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 獸

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Podcast: 獸

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 獸

Quick Contrast

獐 (zhāng) refers specifically to a type of deer, while 獸 (shòu) is a broader term for wild animals or beasts.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 獸 with the more general term for animal, 動物 (dòngwù). While 獸 has a more specific connotation of wild or ferocious animals, 动物 can refer to any animal, including domestic ones. The tone is crucial; ensure you pronounce it with the fourth tone (shòu).

HSK Study Tips

Although 獸 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, understanding it can enhance your grasp of words related to animals, such as 動物 (dòngwù) and 獸醫 (shòuyī), which means veterinarian. Focus on recognizing its components to aid in remembering its meaning.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 獸 to refer to all animals, leading to phrases like '我有一隻獸' (I have a beast), when they mean a pet. The correct term for pet animals should be 動物 (dòngwù).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 獸

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Etymology of 獸

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

animal

Semantic (meaning)犬
+
Phonetic (sound)嘼
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 獸

  1. 1The meaning half犬 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half嘼 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayanimal
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 獸? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 獸?

Decomposition of 獸

IDS Structure⿰嘼犬
獸Full Character
=
嘼chu4
left
犬quan3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 獸?

How to say beast, animal; bestial in Chinese

“beast, animal; bestial” in Chinese is獸shòu

The character 獸 (shòu) refers to a beast or wild animal. It is often used in contexts discussing wildlife, zoology, or metaphorically to describe bestial behavior in humans. This term conveys a sense of ferocity or untamed nature.

When to use 獸

Be careful not to confuse 獸 with the more general term for animal, 動物 (dòngwù). While 獸 has a more specific connotation of wild or ferocious animals, 动物 can refer to any animal, including domestic ones. The tone is crucial; ensure you pronounce it with the fourth tone (shòu).

獸 or something close to it

獐 (zhāng) refers specifically to a type of deer, while 獸 (shòu) is a broader term for wild animals or beasts.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 獸 to refer to all animals, leading to phrases like '我有一隻獸' (I have a beast), when they mean a pet. The correct term for pet animals should be 動物 (dòngwù).

Write 獸

獸

Practice writing 獸 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 獸

Words Containing This Character20
兽shòubeast獸
怪兽rare animal怪獸
野兽yěshòubeast野獸
兽医vet獸醫
禽兽creature禽獸
独角兽unicorn獨角獸
猛兽ferocious beast猛獸
兽药veterinary medicines獸藥
兽性brutal獸性
洪水猛兽fig. great scourges洪水猛獸
鸟兽fauna鳥獸
禽兽不如worse than a beast禽獸不如
兽类animals獸類
鸭嘴兽platypus鴨嘴獸
作鸟兽散to flee helter-skelter作鳥獸散
走兽beast走獸
兽医学veterinary medicine獸醫學
飞禽走兽fēiqínzǒushòubirds and animals飛禽走獸
兽行brutal act獸行
食蚁兽ant-eater (several different species)食蟻獸
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 兽 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 獸

You can say '這是一隻獨特的獸' which means 'This is a unique beast.'

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