獣 (shòu) - Beast, animal, wild creature & specifically refers to wild animals or beasts of

獣Tone 4

shòu ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

上姝

獣 · shòu

Beast, animal, wild creature;

specifically refers to wild animals or beasts of prey.

Beast, animal, wild creaturespecifically refers to wild animals or beasts of

Usage highlights

Wild beastFierce beastRare animalAnimal tracksBeast categoryBeast skin

Synonyms

  • 兽— Simplified form of 獣
  • 动物— Animal (general term)
  • 野兽— Wild beast

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The lion is a fierce beast (猛獣).
  • They captured a wild animal (野獣) in the forest.
  • The zoo has many exotic animals (珍獣).
  • Ancient hunters tracked beasts (獣類) for survival.

Collocations

  • Wild beast(野獣)
  • Fierce beast(猛獣)
  • Rare animal(珍獣)
  • Animal tracks(獣跡)
  • Beast category(獣類)
  • Beast skin(獣皮)

Idioms

  • Like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow-string(驚弓之獣)
  • Beast in human clothing(衣冠禽獣)
  • Fight with beasts(与獣搏斗)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, 獣 specifically denotes wild animals as opposed to domesticated ones.
  • The character appears in classical texts describing hunting, wilderness, and untamed nature.
  • In Japanese usage, 獣 is the standard character for 'beast' or 'animal' (kemono).

FAQ