Definitions

yīng (bound form) parrot

Etymology phono-semantic

bird

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "鹦" representing the parrot is derived from its traditional form "鸚", a phono-semantic compound where the component "嬰" functions as a phonetic indicator for the pronunciation and "鳥" serves as the semantic radical classifying it as a bird. This structural pattern has persisted without alteration in its fundamental design, and the character's meaning has remained specifically tied to parrots, showing no expansion or shift in its semantic scope over centuries of use. The simplified form "鹦" continues this arrangement by utilizing the simplified counterparts "婴" and "鸟", thus preserving the character's original etymological framework while adapting its graphical representation.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

鹉会学人说话。

Yīngwǔ huì xué rén shuōhuà.

Parrots can imitate human speech.

我喜欢那只彩色的鹉。

Wǒ xǐhuān nà zhī cǎisè de yīngwǔ.

I like that colorful parrot.

动物园里有好几只鹉。

Dòngwùyuán lǐ yǒu hǎo jǐ zhī yīngwǔ.

There are several parrots in the zoo.

这只聪明的鹉学会了唱儿歌。

Zhè zhī cōngmíng de yīngwǔ xuéhuì le chàng érgē.

This clever parrot has learned to sing children's songs.

鹉的羽毛比鸽子鲜艳得多。

Yīngwǔ de yǔmáo bǐ gēzi xiānyàn de duō.

Parrot's feathers are much brighter than pigeons'.

因为鹉会说话,所以很多人养它。

Yīnwèi yīngwǔ huì shuōhuà, suǒyǐ hěn duō rén yǎng tā.

Because parrots can talk, many people keep them as pets.

如果你训练鹉,它就能模仿各种声音。

Rúguǒ nǐ xùnliàn yīngwǔ, tā jiù néng mófǎng gè zhǒng shēngyīn.

If you train a parrot, it can imitate various sounds.

那只来自热带雨林的鹉不仅外表华丽,而且智商很高。

Nà zhī láizì rèdài yǔlín de yīngwǔ bùjǐn wàibiǎo huálì, érqiě zhìshāng hěn gāo.

That parrot from the tropical rainforest is not only gorgeous in appearance but also very intelligent.