鳌

鰲/鼇

áo

敖 + 鱼

Definitions

áo mythological sea turtle

áo variant of 鰲|鳌[áo]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 鱼 represents the meaning and 敖 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鰲.

Semantic: 鱼 Phonetic: 敖

About

鳌, the simplified form of 鰲, is a phono-semantic compound for a colossal mythological sea turtle or giant fish. Its semantic radical 鱼 (traditional 魚) categorizes it as a marine creature, while the phonetic component 敖 indicates its pronunciation. In traditional folklore, this giant turtle or fish is described as carrying mountainous islands on its back or supporting the pillars of heaven. This mythic imagery has lent the character a specialized literary sense, conveying extraordinary foundational strength, high academic achievement (as in the idiom 独占鳌头), and an entity of unimaginably massive proportions in the ocean.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

传说东海有神鳌。

Chuánshuō Dōnghǎi yǒu shén'áo.

Legend says there is a divine giant turtle in the East Sea.

这座鳌山是元宵灯会的亮点。

Zhè zuò áoshān shì yuánxiāo dēnghuì de liàngdiǎn.

This giant lantern mountain is the highlight of the Lantern Festival.

他力大无穷，仿佛能独占鳌头。

Tā lì dà wúqióng, fǎngfú néng dúzhàn áotóu.

He is immensely strong, as if he could take the top spot alone.

公园里新立了一座巨鳌的雕塑。

Gōngyuán lǐ xīn lì le yī zuò jù áo de diāosù.

A sculpture of a giant turtle has been newly erected in the park.

古代神话中，鳌曾背负着仙山。

Gǔdài shénhuà zhōng, áo céng bēifù zhe xiān shān.

In ancient mythology, the giant turtle once carried immortal mountains on its back.

在竞赛中独占鳌头是他的目标。

Zài jìngsài zhōng dúzhàn áotóu shì tā de mùbiāo.

To take the top position in the competition is his goal.

这座岛屿的形状好似一只浮出海面的鳌。

Zhè zuò dǎoyǔ de xíngzhuàng hǎosì yī zhǐ fú chū hǎimiàn de áo.

The shape of this island is like a giant turtle floating up from the sea.

他的研究在学术界已占据鳌头多年。

Tā de yánjiū zài xuéshùjiè yǐ zhànjù áotóu duō nián.

His research has held the leading position in academia for many years.

Related Characters

Component: 敖

Component: 鱼

鳌