禽 (qín) — birds, fowl (used as a bound form in compounds)

Definition

禽 is a bound literary/classical form meaning 'birds, fowl' — almost never used alone, appearing mainly in compounds like 家禽 (domestic fowl), 飞禽 (birds), or the idiom 衣冠禽兽 (a beast in human clothing). Prefer 鸟 for everyday modern speech.

bound form
birdsfowl (used as a bound form in compounds)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Nóng chǎng lǐ yǎng le hěn duō jiā qín.
    The farm raises a lot of domestic fowl.
  • 。
    Tā mà nà ge rén shì yī guān qín shòu.
    He called that person a beast in human clothing.
  • 。
    Zhè piàn sēn lín lǐ yǒu hěn duō fēi qín zǒu shòu.
    This forest has many birds and beasts.

Origin

Pictograph
六书liùshū
象形xiàngxíng

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.

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.