知了 (zhī liǎo) — cicada

Definition

The everyday, onomatopoeic name for a cicada (the insect whose loud summer call is iconic in China). Refers specifically to the insect, not the sound it makes.

noun
cicada
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • ，知了。
    Xià tiān de shí hou, zhī liǎo zài shù shàng jiào dé hěn dà shēng.
    In summer, cicadas chirp very loudly on the trees.
  • 知了。
    Hái zi men zài shù xià zhǎo zhī liǎo.
    The children are looking for cicadas under the tree.
  • 知了。
    zhī liǎo De jiào shēng shì xià tiān de biāo zhì.
    The chirping of cicadas is a sign of summer.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

An early form of 知 showed 大 (adult), 口 (mouth), and 子 (child): an adult speaking to a child to pass on knowledge. The 子 part was dropped, and the 大 part changed shape.

Open 知 →

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

了 was once drawn to show a baby with no arms; some old comments say it showed crossed or tangled legs.

Open 了 →

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