雁

鴈

yàn

倠 + 厂

Definitions

yàn (noun) wild goose

Etymology phono-semantic

bird

Semantic: 隹

About

The character 雁 is a phono-semantic compound built around the short-tailed bird radical 隹, which places it in the semantic domain of birds. The surrounding elements, a cliff-like 厂 and a person 人, collectively provide its phonetic value. The character specifically denotes the wild goose, a large migratory bird known for flying in V-formations during seasonal transitions. Due to this bird's predictable, synchronized migrations, 雁 became a potent symbol in classical poetry for autumn's arrival, the passage of time, messages from afar, and the longing of those separated by distance.

Etymology Hide

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

秋天大雁南飞。

Qiūtiān dà yàn nán fēi.

In autumn, wild geese fly south.

雁群在空中飞翔。

Yàn qún zài kōngzhōng fēixiáng.

The flock of wild geese is flying in the sky.

大雁的叫声很响亮。

Dà yàn de jiàoshēng hěn xiǎngliàng.

The cry of the wild goose is very loud.

湖面上落着一只大雁。

Húmiàn shàng luò zhe yī zhī dà yàn.

A wild goose is landing on the lake surface.

雁阵排成人字形飞行。

Yàn zhèn pái chéng rén zì xíng fēixíng.

The goose formation flies in a V-shape.

每年春天，大雁都会北归。

Měi nián chūntiān, dà yàn dōu huì běi guī.

Every spring, wild geese return north.

孩子们兴奋地看着雁群掠过天空。

Háizimen xīngfèn de kàn zhe yàn qún lüè guò tiānkōng.

The children excitedly watch the flock of geese sweep across the sky.

在遥远的迁徙途中，雁群必须克服许多困难。

Zài yáoyuǎn de qiānxǐ tú zhōng, yàn qún bìxū kèfú xǔduō kùnnán.

During the long migration journey, the flock of geese must overcome many difficulties.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 倠

Component: 厂

雁