鸦 (yā) — crow (bound form, used in compounds)
Definition
Bound form for 'crow' — almost always appears in compounds (乌鸦), not used alone.
bound form
crow (bound form, used in compounds)
Easily confused
- 雅yālook-alikeelegant, refined (morpheme in compounds such as 优雅, 文雅, 雅致)
- 呀yāsound-alike(interjection) ah! oh! (expressing surprise, sudden realization, or admiration)
- 邪xiélook-alikeevil, wicked, demonic
- 压yāsound-aliketo press, to push down
- 鸥ōulook-alikegull (bird), often used in compounds like 海鸥
- 押yāsound-aliketo pawn, to mortgage
Examples
- 。Yì zhī wū yā zhàn zài shù shàng.A crow is standing on the tree.
- 。Yì zhī wū yā cóng tiān kōng fēi guò.A crow flew across the sky.
- ，。Jiào shì lǐ yā què wú shēng, dà jiā dōu zài kǎo shì.The classroom was dead silent; everyone was taking an exam.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 鴉; 鸦 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
鳥鳥niǎobird
The traditional form 鴉 pairs 牙 as a sound part with 鳥, meaning bird; the simplified 鸦 is a later abbreviation and its parts are not the historical components.
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