Chinese word

狐狸

Pronunciation

Pinyinhú lí

Meaning

  • nounfox

Example

那只狐狸很漂亮。nà zhǐ hú lí hěn piào liàng

That fox is very beautiful.

Illustration for 狐狸 (fox)

More examples

小狐狸躲在狐狸洞里。xiǎo hú lí duǒ zài hú lí dòng lǐ

The young fox is hiding in the fox's den.

Core concept

A wild canine with a pointed face, prominent ears, and a thick tail.

Common phrases

  • 狐狸洞hú lí dòng

    fox's den

  • 小狐狸xiǎo hú lí

    young fox

  • 狐狸尾巴hú lí wěi bā

    fox's tail

Similar words

狐hú: A fox represented by a single character, especially in traditional writing.
狐狸精hú lí jīng: A legendary fox spirit that disguises itself as a person.

Definition in Chinese

一种有尖嘴、大耳朵和蓬松尾巴的哺乳动物。yì zhǒng yǒu jiān zuǐ dà ér duǒ hé péng sōng wěi ba de bú rǔ dòng wù

Word origin

狐狸 (húlí, "fox") contains 狐 (hú, "fox") plus 狸 (lí, "raccoon dog"), forming a two-character animal name rather than a name for two animals.

Usage tips

  • When counting 狐狸 (húlí, "fox"), Chinese uses 只 (zhī, "animal classifier") before the noun, so the measure word comes between the number and the animal.

Word lists with this word