鸠

鳩

jiū

九 + 鸟

Definitions

jiū turtledove; (literary) to gather

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 鸟 represents the meaning and 九 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鳩.

Semantic: 鸟 Phonetic: 九

About

鸠 is a phono-semantic compound for birds like the turtledove or pigeon. The semantic radical 鸟 on the right indicates the bird category, while the component 九 on the left provides the phonetic element, which appears with the more complex bird radical 鳥 in the traditional form. Beyond its primary meaning, the character also extended to mean gathering or assembling, a sense derived from the flocking behavior of these birds and used in formal contexts to refer to the concentration of people or resources.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

树上停着一只鸠。

Shù shàng tíng zhe yī zhī jiū.

A dove is perched on the tree.

鸠的羽毛很漂亮。

Jiū de yǔmáo hěn piàoliang.

The dove's feathers are very beautiful.

那只鸠在草地上觅食。

Nà zhī jiū zài cǎodì shàng mìshí.

That dove is foraging on the grass.

斑鸠是一种常见的鸟。

Bānjiū shì yī zhǒng chángjiàn de niǎo.

The turtledove is a common type of bird.

清晨，鸠的叫声很悦耳。

Qīngchén, jiū de jiàoshēng hěn yuè'ěr.

In the early morning, the dove's call is very pleasant.

公园里有很多斑鸠在散步。

Gōngyuán lǐ yǒu hěnduō bānjiū zài sànbù.

There are many turtledoves walking in the park.

鸠通常以种子和昆虫为食。

Jiū tōngcháng yǐ zhǒngzi hé kūnchóng wéi shí.

Doves usually eat seeds and insects.

由于环境变化，鸠的栖息地正在减少。

Yóuyú huánjìng biànhuà, jiū de qīxīdì zhèngzài jiǎnshǎo.

Due to environmental changes, the dove's habitat is decreasing.

Related Characters

Component: 九

Component: 鸟

鸠