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仙鹤 (xiān hè) — red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis)

Definition

Literary/cultural name for the red-crowned crane, often paired with pines (松) in art to symbolize longevity. In neutral modern speech, the bird is more often just called 丹顶鹤.

noun
red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis)
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • ，仙鹤，。
    Zài zhōng guó huà zhōng, xiān hè cháng cháng yǔ sōng shù yì qǐ chū xiàn, yù yì cháng shòu.
    In Chinese paintings, the red-crowned crane often appears with pine trees, symbolizing longevity.
  • 仙鹤，。
    Gōng yuán lǐ yǎng le jǐ zhī xiān hè, xī yǐn le hěn duō yóu kè.
    The park keeps several red-crowned cranes, attracting many visitors.
  • ，仙鹤。
    Chuán shuō zhōng, xiān hè shì shén xiān de zuò qí.
    In legend, the red-crowned crane is the mount of immortals.

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.

仙xiānimmortal
鹤hècrane

仙 describes the crane as immortal or fairy-like, giving the name of the red-crowned crane.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

仙 pairs 亻 (person) with 山 (mountain), showing a person moving into a mountain to become immortal; 山 also gives the sound.

Open 仙 →

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 鶴; 鹤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
鳥鳥niǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
寉
寉hè鶴hè
Same sound today

The traditional form 鶴 has 鳥, a bird, for the meaning and 寉 for the sound; the simplified 鹤 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 鹤 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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