Definitions

hóng (adjective) large; great
hóng (noun) wild goose

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 鸿, historically rendered in its traditional form as 鴻, originally referred to a large waterbird such as a swan or wild goose, with its construction combining the water radical 氵 and the character 鳥 for bird, while the phonetic component is traceable to 江, linking the creature to aquatic environments. From this specific zoological meaning, the term gradually acquired extended senses of vastness and grandeur, as evidenced in compounds like 鸿图 for ambitious plans or 鸿沟 indicating a significant divide, a semantic expansion that paralleled the bird's perceived magnitude and its association with expansive skies and waterways.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这条鸿沟很难跨越。

Zhè tiáo hónggōu hěn nán kuàyuè.

This gulf is very difficult to cross.

一群鸿雁飞向南方。

Yī qún hóngyàn fēi xiàng nánfāng.

A flock of wild geese flies towards the south.

他正在规划公司的鸿图。

Tā zhèngzài guīhuà gōngsī de hóngtú.

He is planning the grand blueprint for the company.

愿您新年鸿运当头。

Yuàn nín xīnnián hóngyùn dāngtóu.

May you have great luck in the New Year.

这部著作堪称鸿篇巨制。

Zhè bù zhùzuò kānchēng hóngpiānjùzhì.

This work can be called a monumental masterpiece.

双方的分歧犹如一道鸿沟。

Shuāngfāng de fēnqí yóurú yī dào hónggōu.

The disagreement between the two sides is like a vast gulf.

他的演讲气势恢宏,颇有鸿儒风范。

Tā de yǎnjiǎng qìshì huīhóng, pō yǒu hóngrú fēngfàn.

His speech was majestic and quite resembled the demeanor of a great scholar.

这项鸿业远图需要几代人的共同努力。

Zhè xiàng hóngyè yuǎntú xūyào jǐ dài rén de gòngtóng nǔlì.

This grand and far-reaching undertaking requires the joint efforts of several generations.