Meaning
狼 refers to the wolf, a wild canine animal. In Chinese culture, wolves often symbolize cruelty, greed, or danger, appearing in idioms and stories as cunning predators. The character combines the 'dog' radical (犭) with 良 (láng), which provides the phonetic component.
Usage
Native speakers use 狼 in both literal contexts (the animal) and figuratively to describe ruthless or predatory behavior. It commonly appears in chengyu (四字成语) and is often paired with negative connotations, though wolves can also represent strength and survival instincts in certain contexts.
Examples
- 01森林里出现了一群狼。.A pack of wolves appeared in the forest.
- 02他饿得狼吞虎咽地吃完了所有的食物。.He was so hungry that he wolfed down all the food.
Measure words
- 只一只狼
- 头一头狼
- 匹一匹狼
Common collocations
- 狼群wolf pack
- 野狼wild wolf
- 狼吞虎咽to wolf down food; to eat ravenously
- 狼心狗肺ungrateful; heartless
Antonyms
Origin
The character 狼 uses the dog radical 犭(quǎn) on the left to indicate it's a canine animal, while 良 (láng) provides the pronunciation. This radical-phonetic structure is typical of Chinese animal characters.