喙

huì

口 + 彖

Definitions

huì beak; snout; mouth; to pant

Etymology

A hedgehog's 彖 mouth 口

About

喙 is a phono-semantic compound combining the mouth radical 口 on the left and the phonetic component 彖 (depicting a hedgehog) on the right. Its core meaning is the beak, bill, or snout of an animal, particularly birds, insects, and certain mammals, which naturally follows from the mouth radical. Beyond literal anatomical reference, the character frequently appears in figurative contexts to describe human speech, often carrying a negative or derogatory connotation. This metaphorical use draws on the image of an animal's beak to belittle someone's words, commonly seen in idioms criticizing excessive talkativeness, argumentative behavior, or speaking out of turn.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这只鸟的喙很尖。

Zhè zhī niǎo de huì hěn jiān.

This bird's beak is very sharp.

啄木鸟用喙啄树。

Zhuómùniǎo yòng huì zhuó shù.

Woodpeckers use their beaks to peck trees.

鹰的喙比麻雀的喙大。

Yīng de huì bǐ máquè de huì dà.

The eagle's beak is larger than the sparrow's beak.

喙突是鸟类骨骼的一部分。

Huìtū shì niǎolèi gǔgé de yī bùfen.

The coracoid process is part of bird skeletal structure.

那只鹦鹉的喙是红色的，非常漂亮。

Nà zhī yīngwǔ de huì shì hóngsè de, fēicháng piàoliang.

That parrot's beak is red and very beautiful.

野猪的喙很长，能挖土。

Yězhū de huì hěn cháng, néng wā tǔ.

The wild boar's snout is long and can dig soil.

在解剖学中，喙突指的是肩胛骨的一部分。

Zài jiěpōuxué zhōng, huìtū zhǐ de shì jiānjiǎgǔ de yī bùfen.

In anatomy, the coracoid process refers to part of the scapula.

由于喙的形状特殊，这种鸟能够轻易地捕捉水中的鱼类。

Yóuyú huì de xíngzhuàng tèshū, zhè zhǒng niǎo nénggòu qīngyì de bǔzhuō shuǐ zhōng de yúlèi.

Due to the special shape of its beak, this bird can easily catch fish in water.

Related Characters

Component: 口

Component: 彖

喙