Word

龙 (lóng) — Chinese word meaning

HSK 5

Meaning of 龙

名 míng noun

dragon

龙是中国文化的象征。

lóng shì zhōng guó wén huà de xiàng zhēng

The dragon is a symbol of Chinese culture.

Word breakdown

龙 lóng — dragon

1 恐龙 kǒng lóng — dinosaur HSK 7
- 恐 terrible, fearsome
- 龙 dragon, large reptile
Example

博物馆里有很多恐龙化石。

bó wù guǎn lǐ yǒu hěn duō kǒng lóng huà shí

There are many dinosaur fossils in the museum.
2 来龙去脉 lái lóng qù mài — the ins and outs HSK 7
- 来 coming; the origin or source
- 龙 dragon; dragon veins (feng shui concept)
- 去 going; the result or outcome
- 脉 veins; the connecting thread or continuity
Example

他详细地解释了事情的来龙去脉。

tā xiáng xì de jiě shì le shì qing de lái lóng qù mài

He explained the ins and outs of the matter in detail.
3 水龙头 shuǐ lóng tóu — faucet HSK 7
- 水 water
- 龙 dragon (metaphor for flowing water)
- 头 head, spout (the outlet)
Example

他打开水龙头洗手。

tā dǎ kāi shuǐ lóng tóu xǐ shǒu

He turned on the faucet to wash his hands.
4 沙龙 shā lóng — salon HSK 7
- 沙 phonetic component representing 'sa' sound from French 'salon'
- 龙 phonetic component representing 'lon' sound from French 'salon'
Example

她经常参加文学沙龙。

tā jīng cháng cān jiā wén xué shā lóng

She often attends literary salons.
5 画龙点睛 huà lóng diǎn jīng — to add the finishing touch HSK 7
- 画 to paint, to draw
- 龙 dragon (the subject being painted)
- 点 to dot, to add a crucial detail
- 睛 eyeball, pupil (the finishing detail that brings life)
Example

这句话为文章画龙点睛，让主题更加突出。

zhè jù huà wèi wén zhāng huà lóng diǎn jīng ràng zhǔ tí gèng jiā tū chū

This sentence adds the finishing touch to the article, making the theme more prominent.

Show more (+2)

6 跑龙套 pǎo lóng tào — play a walk-on role; be an extra HSK 7
- 跑 to perform, to do (the action of performing)
- 龙 dragon (part of 龙套, referring to dragon-patterned costumes)
- 套 suit, costume (completes 龙套, the costume worn by extras)
Example

他刚开始跑龙套，后来成了大明星。

tā gāng kāi shǐ pǎo lóng tào hòu lái chéng le dà míng xīng

He started out playing walk-on roles, and later became a big star.
7 龙头 lóng tóu — faucet; leading enterprise; industry leader HSK 7
- 龙 dragon; signifies supremacy, leadership, being foremost
- 头 head; signifies top position, leading role, front
Example

这家公司是行业龙头。

zhè jiā gōng sī shì háng yè lóng tóu

This company is an industry leader.

Structure & writing

1 龙 lóng — dragon (a legendary creature in Chinese mythology with a long body, scales, and horns, capable of walking, flying, and swimming; in modern paleontology, refers to some reptiles with limbs and tails)

龙 is a component in 9 characters

HSK 5

宠 chǒng to dote on; to indulge with excessive affection (often from a superior to an inferior)

HSK 6

庞 páng large (in size or quantity) 笼 lóng cage or basket made of bamboo, wood, or wire for holding birds, animals, or objects

HSK 7