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    番犬

    Grammar & Usage

    noun
    neutral

    How it works

    This is a compound noun formed by '番' (fān), meaning 'foreign' or in this context, possibly related to 'guard' or 'watch', and '犬' (quǎn), meaning 'dog'. Together, it specifically refers to a dog kept for guarding property or people, rather than just any pet dog.

    Sample sentences

    这只大狗是农场的忠实番犬。

    This big dog is the farm's loyal guard dog.

    我们需要一只番犬来看守仓库。

    We need a watchdog to guard the warehouse.

    他家里养了一只凶猛的番犬。

    He keeps a fierce guard dog at home.

    Quick facts

    etymology:The character '番' here carries a sense of 'turn, watch, guard duty', as seen in words like '一番' (a turn) or '番茄' (tomato, literally 'foreign eggplant'). In this context, it functions to specify the dog's role as a 'watch' or 'guard' dog.

    Mnemonic

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    Example

    这只大狗是农场的忠实番犬。

    This big dog is the farm's loyal guard dog.

    我们需要一只番犬来看守仓库。

    We need a watchdog to guard the warehouse.

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