犬 (quǎn) - dog & canine

犬Tone 3

quǎn ｜ 4 strokes ｜ radical: 犬

情仁

犬 · quǎn

dog;

canine;

used in classical Chinese and formal contexts for 'dog'.

dogcanineused in classical Chinese and formal contexts for

Usage highlights

Police dogGuard dogHunting dogPet dogMilitary dogGuide dog

Synonyms

  • 狗— dog (more common in modern Chinese)
  • 猎犬— hunting dog
  • 警犬— police dog

Antonyms

  • 猫— cat (traditional opposite in domestic animals)
  • 狼— wolf (wild canine vs. domestic)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The dog is loyal (犬 is loyal).
  • Police use police dogs (警犬).
  • He raises a guard dog (看门犬).
  • This is a hunting dog (猎犬).

Collocations

  • Police dog(警犬)
  • Guard dog(看门犬)
  • Hunting dog(猎犬)
  • Pet dog(爱犬)
  • Military dog(军犬)
  • Guide dog(导盲犬)

Idioms

  • Like a dog and a chicken(鸡犬不宁)
  • The hare dead, the dogs are boiled(兔死狗烹)
  • A sleeping hound(卧犬)
  • Dog's tail continuing sable(狗尾续貂)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient China, dogs were valued for hunting, guarding, and companionship, but also had negative connotations in some idioms.
  • 犬 is the classical and formal term for 'dog', while 狗 is more common in modern spoken Chinese.
  • Dogs appear in Chinese zodiac as the 11th animal, representing loyalty and honesty.

FAQ