鹞

鷂

yào

䍃 + 鸟

Definitions

yào sparrow hawk; Accipiter nisus

Etymology phono-semantic

bird

Semantic: 鸟

About

The character 鹞 is a phono-semantic compound meaning a predatory bird like a sparrowhawk or harrier. Its structure places the semantic radical for bird, 鸟, on the right, confirming its avian category. The component 䍃 (yáo) on the left provides the pronunciation. Over time, the meaning extended to include paper kites, a connection based on their similar hovering and gliding flight patterns. This secondary definition appears in some regional vocabulary.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

天空飞着一只鹞。

Tiānkōng fēi zhe yī zhī yào.

A kite is flying in the sky.

孩子放纸鹞玩。

Háizi fàng zhǐ yào wán.

The child is flying a paper kite for fun.

鹞鹰在捕捉小鸟。

Yàoyīng zài bǔzhuō xiǎo niǎo.

The sparrowhawk is catching small birds.

我看到鹞子在空中盘旋。

Wǒ kàn dào yàozi zài kōngzhōng pánxuán.

I see a kite circling in the air.

春天是放鹞的好季节。

Chūntiān shì fàng yào de hǎo jìjié.

Spring is a good season for flying kites.

那只鹞鹰突然俯冲下来。

Nà zhī yàoyīng tūrán fǔchōng xiàlái.

That sparrowhawk suddenly dived down.

因为风大，鹞子飞得很高。

Yīnwèi fēng dà, yàozi fēi de hěn gāo.

Because the wind is strong, the kite flies very high.

鹞鹰虽然凶猛，但它保护庄稼。

Yàoyīng suīrán xiōngměng, dàn tā bǎohù zhuāngjia.

Although the sparrowhawk is fierce, it protects crops.

Related Characters

Component: 䍃

Component: 鸟