鮎 (nián) — catfish (a type of fish)

Definition

noun
catfish (a type of fish)
Measure word · 条
Easily confused

Examples

  • 鮎。
    Zuó tiān wǒ chī le yì tiáo nián.
    Yesterday I ate a catfish.
  • 鮎。
    Zhè zhǒng nián wèi dào hěn xiān měi.
    This kind of catfish tastes very delicious.
  • 鮎。
    Tā zài hé lǐ zhuā dào le yì tiáo nián.
    He caught a catfish in the river.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
魚魚yúfish
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn鮎
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

鮎 combines 魚 (fish) with 占, which gives it its sound.

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