禽类 (qín lèi) — birds, fowl (as a category, especially domestic or game birds)

Definition

noun
birdsfowl (as a category, especially domestic or game birds)

Examples

  • 禽类。
    Zhè zhǒng qín lèi de ròu zhì fēi cháng xiān nèn.
    The meat of this type of poultry is very tender.
  • 禽类。
    Chāo shì lǐ de qín lèi chǎn pǐn zhǒng lèi hěn duō.
    There are many kinds of poultry products in the supermarket.
  • 禽类，。
    Tā xǐ huan chī qín lèi, yóu qí shì jī ròu hé yā ròu.
    He likes to eat poultry, especially chicken and duck.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

禽qínfowl
类lèicategory

“禽” (fowl) and “类” (category) combine to mean the class of birds.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The earliest 禽 drew a net. A sound part was later added, and the old net and sound shapes changed into today's 禽.

Open 禽 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 類; 类 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犬犬quǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
頪
頪lèi類lèi
Same sound today

The traditional form 類 pairs 犬, which relates to the meaning, with 頪, which gives the sound. The simplified 类 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 类 →

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