鸳

鴛

yuān

夗 + 鸟

Definitions

yuān mandarin duck

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 鸟 represents the meaning and 夗 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鴛.

Semantic: 鸟 Phonetic: 夗

About

鸳 is the simplified form of 鴛, a phono-semantic compound. Its upper component 夗 acts only as a phonetic indicator, while the lower component 鸟 (traditional 鳥) serves as the semantic radical, placing the character in the bird category. The character specifically names the male mandarin duck, and it almost never appears alone: together with 鸯, the female, it forms 鸳鸯, a word that has come to symbolize lifelong romantic fidelity and conjugal harmony, a reflection of the species' strong, enduring pair bonds.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

公园里有很多鸳鸯。

Gōngyuán lǐ yǒu hěnduō yuānyāng.

There are many mandarin ducks in the park.

鸳鸯是一种水鸟。

Yuānyāng shì yī zhǒng shuǐniǎo.

Mandarin ducks are a type of water bird.

他们像鸳鸯一样恩爱。

Tāmen xiàng yuānyāng yīyàng ēn'ài.

They are as affectionate as mandarin ducks.

湖中的鸳鸯非常漂亮。

Hú zhōng de yuānyāng fēichāng piàoliang.

The mandarin ducks in the lake are very beautiful.

这对鸳鸯总是在一起。

Zhè duì yuānyāng zǒngshì zài yīqǐ.

This pair of mandarin ducks is always together.

鸳鸯的羽毛颜色很鲜艳。

Yuānyāng de yǔmáo yánsè hěn xiānyàn.

The feathers of mandarin ducks are very colorful.

我们在动物园看到了鸳鸯。

Wǒmen zài dòngwùyuán kàn dàole yuānyāng.

We saw mandarin ducks at the zoo.

鸳鸯象征着忠贞不渝的爱情。

Yuānyāng xiàngzhēng zhe zhōngzhēn bù yú de àiqíng.

Mandarin ducks symbolize unwavering love.

Related Characters

Component: 夗

Component: 鸟

鸳