猿 (yuán) - Ape, monkey — refers to primates, especially apes & often used metaphorically for cleverness or wildness.

猿Tone 2

yuán ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

喻悦

猿 · yuán

Ape, monkey — refers to primates, especially apes and large monkeys;

often used metaphorically for cleverness or wildness.

Ape, monkey — refers to primates, especially apesoften used metaphorically for cleverness or wildness.

Usage highlights

GibbonApePrimateAncient apeMonkey and apeHeart of an ape

Synonyms

  • 猴— monkey (more general term)
  • 猩猩— orangutan, ape

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The gibbon is a type of ape (长臂猿).
  • He climbed like a monkey (像猿猴一样攀爬).
  • The ancient forest was home to many apes (古猿).
  • Scientists study primate evolution (猿类进化).

Collocations

  • Gibbon(长臂猿)
  • Ape-man(猿人)
  • Primate(猿类)
  • Ancient ape(古猿)
  • Ape-like(类猿)
  • Monkey and ape(猿猴)

Idioms

  • The mind of an ape and the intention of a horse(心猿意马)
  • Like an ape reaching for the moon(猿猴取月)
  • The ape cries and the crane calls(猿啼鹤唳)
  • The gibbon's arm(猿臂)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, apes often symbolize cleverness, agility, and sometimes wild, untamed nature.
  • The character appears in classical literature, such as 'Journey to the West', where the Monkey King Sun Wukong (孙悟空) embodies both monkey-like traits and supernatural powers.
  • The idiom '心猿意马' uses 'ape' to represent a restless, unsettled mind.

FAQ