ox-headed and horse-faced demons; people with sinister and repulsive characters
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesnoun
Ox-Head and Horse-Face (the two demon guards of Yama, the King of Hell)
literaryUsed in traditional Chinese mythology and folk religion to describe the underworld enforcers.
Zài在
sì寺
miào庙
de的
bì壁
huà画
shàng上
，
cháng常
cháng常
néng能
kàn看
dào到
niú牛
tóu头
mǎ马
miàn面
de的
xíng形
xiàng象
。
Images of Ox-Head and Horse-Face can often be seen in temple murals.
Gù故
shì事
lǐ里
shuō说
，
zuò作
è恶
duō多
duān端
de的
rén人
sǐ死
hòu后
huì会
bèi被
niú牛
tóu头
mǎ马
miàn面
yā押
dào到
yán阎
wang王
diàn殿
。
The story says that evil people after death will be escorted to the court of Yama by Ox-Head and Horse-Face.
noun
people with sinister, repulsive, or malicious characters
derogatoryA figurative and derogatory term used to describe people who are treacherous, vicious, or have an ugly character.
Nà那
ge个
hēi黑
xīn心
lǎo老
bǎn板
hé和
tā他
shǒu手
xià下
de的
dǎ打
shou手
，
jiǎn简
zhí直
jiù就
shì是
yī一
bāng帮
niú牛
tóu头
mǎ马
miàn面
。
That unscrupulous boss and his thugs are just a bunch of sinister fiends.
Bié别
kàn看
tā他
xiàn现
zài在
zhuāng装
de得
hé和
shàn善
，
gǔ骨
zi子
lǐ里
jiù就
shì是
ge个
niú牛
tóu头
mǎ马
miàn面
。
Don't be fooled by his current friendly facade; deep down he's a vile character.
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Zài在
nà那
zhǒng种
huán环
jìng境
lǐ里
，
zhèng正
zhí直
de的
rén人
hěn很
nán难
shēng生
cún存
，
dào到
chù处
dōu都
shì是
niú牛
tóu头
mǎ马
miàn面
。
In that kind of environment, it's hard for upright people to survive; sinister characters are everywhere.