猴

• Pinyin: hóu
• Hanzi breakdown: 猴 = 犭(animal) + 侯 (phonetic)

Meaning

Monkey; ape. A primate animal known for agility and cleverness.

One of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. Symbolizes cleverness, agility, and sometimes mischief. Used in compounds and idioms. 猴年 is the Year of the Monkey.

Examples

1. 动物园里的猴子非常活泼可爱。 The monkeys at the zoo are very lively and cute.
2. 他是属猴的，今年是他的本命年。 He was born in the Year of the Monkey; this year is his zodiac year.
3. 孩子们看到猴子表演都很兴奋。 The children were very excited watching the monkey performance.

Usage Guide

Context: animals, zodiac, idioms, description

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你属什么？我属猴。(What's your zodiac? I'm a monkey.)
• 这孩子像只小猴。(This child is like a little monkey.)

Don't Say

• 你是猴 as insult (while comparing someone to a monkey can be playful with children, it can be offensive to adults)

Origin & History

Pictophonetic: 犭(animal radical) + 侯 (phonetic), representing the primate animal.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal