馴 (xún) - to tame & to domesticate
馴 · xún
to tame;
to domesticate;
to train;
to break in (animals);
to make docile;
to become tame;
to accustom to;
to make accustomed to;
to be gentle;
to be docile;
to be tame.
to tameto domesticateto train
Usage highlights
to tamedomesticationto traindocile and obedientgentle and kindto break in a horse
Usage & contexts
Examples
- The horse trainer tamed the wild stallion (驯马).
- Wild animals can be domesticated over generations (驯化).
- He is training his dog to obey commands (驯狗).
- The zookeeper has a gentle way with the lions (驯狮).
Collocations
- to tame (an animal)(驯服)
- domestication (of animals)(驯化)
- to train (an animal)(驯养)
- docile and obedient(驯顺)
- gentle and kind(驯良)
- to break in a horse(驯马)
Idioms
- To tame the dragon and subdue the tiger — to overcome powerful adversaries(驯龙伏虎)
- To tame nature — to conquer nature(驯服自然)
- As tame as a lamb — very docile(驯如羔羊)
Cultural background
FAQ- The character reflects the long history of animal domestication in Chinese agrarian society.
- In Confucian thought, the concept of 'taming' or 'cultivating' extends to self-cultivation and moral refinement.
- The character is often used metaphorically to describe the process of education and civilizing influence.