dòng wù
animals
我喜欢动物。
wǒ xǐhuān dòngwù.
I like animals.
动物园里有许多动物。
dòngwùyuán lǐ yǒu xǔduō dòngwù.
There are many animals in the zoo.
动物是人类的朋友。
dòngwù shì rénlèi de péngyǒu.
Animals are friends of humans.
兽 (shòu)
beast
畜生 (chùshēng)
animal
植物 (zhíwù)
plant
矿物 (kuàngwù)
mineral
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The Chinese word 动物 (dòngwù) for "animal" is composed of two characters: 动 (dòng) and 物 (wù). The character 动 (dòng) means "to move" or "to be active", while the character 物 (wù) means "thing" or "object". Together, these two characters form the word 动物 (dòngwù), which literally means "moving thing" or "active object". This term is used to refer to all living creatures that are not plants, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects.
