猩猩

• Pinyin: xīng xing
• Hanzi breakdown: 猩 = 犭 + 星 (animal radical + phonetic 星); reduplicated form names the great ape

Meaning

Orangutan; chimpanzee; great ape. A large primate native to tropical forests.

In Chinese, 猩猩 can refer broadly to great apes. 黑猩猩 is chimpanzee; 红毛猩猩 is orangutan. Used in biology, zoology, and popular references to primates.

Examples

1. 猩猩的基因与人类高度相似，使其成为研究人类进化的重要参照对象。 Because orangutans’ genes are highly similar to humans’, they are an important reference species for studying human evolution.
2. 这家动物园专门为黑猩猩建造了模拟自然栖息环境的活动区域。 This zoo built an activity area for chimpanzees that closely simulates their natural habitat.
3. 由于栖息地遭到破坏，野生猩猩的数量已急剧减少。 Because their habitat has been destroyed, the number of wild orangutans has dropped sharply.

Usage Guide

Context: biology, zoology, environmental

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 研究人员发现猩猩具备使用简单工具解决问题的能力。(Researchers found that orangutans have the ability to use simple tools to solve problems.)
• 保护猩猩栖息地是维护热带雨林生态平衡的重要举措。(Protecting orangutan habitats is an important measure for maintaining tropical rainforest ecological balance.)

Don't Say

• 把人称作猩猩 — highly offensive; never use 猩猩 to refer to humans as it is deeply derogatory

Origin & History

猩 (orangutan) + 猩 (reduplication to name the animal)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal