旱鸭子 (hàn yā zǐ) — non-swimmer (informal metaphor, literally 'dry-land duck')

Definition

Colloquial, slightly humorous term for a non-swimmer, literally a 'dry-land duck.' Use it about yourself or a friend; it's too casual for formal writing.

noun
non-swimmer (informal metaphor, literally 'dry-land duck')

Examples

  • 旱鸭子，。
    Wǒ shì hàn yā zǐ, yí dào yóu yǒng chí jiù hài pà.
    I'm a non-swimmer — I get scared as soon as I get to the pool.
  • 旱鸭子，。
    Tā suī rán shì gè hàn yā zǐ, dàn hěn xǐ huan zài hǎi biān sàn bù.
    Although she can't swim, she really enjoys walking by the seaside.
  • ，旱鸭子，。
    Bié xiào wǒ le, wǒ jiù shì zhī hàn yā zǐ, cóng lái xué bú huì yóu yǒng.
    Don't laugh at me — I'm just a non-swimmer who never learned.

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.

旱hàndry
鸭子duck
鸭yāduck子zǐ
后缀Suffix

旱 (dry) + 鸭子 (duck) gives a duck kept on dry land, hence someone who cannot swim.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 旱 →

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 鴨; 鸭 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
鳥鳥niǎobird
Sound part声符shēngfú
甲
甲jiǎ鴨yā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鴨 uses 甲 for its sound and 鳥 for bird; the simplified 鸭 is a shorthand.

Open 鸭 →

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

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →

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