雄鹰 (xióng yīng) — eagle (especially a large, powerful one)

Definition

noun

eagle (especially a large, powerful one)

Measure word · 只

雄鹰。
Yì zhī xióng yīng zài tiān kōng zhōng fēi xiáng.
An eagle is soaring in the sky.
雄鹰。
xióng yīng Shì shān zhōng zuì xiōng měng de niǎo.
The eagle is the most ferocious bird in the mountains.
雄鹰。
Tā de mèng xiǎng xiàng xióng yīng yí yàng zì yóu.
His dream is as free as an eagle.

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.

雄 conveys powerful or male, and 鹰 is an eagle, giving a powerful eagle.

Characters in this word

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

厷隹雄

Meaning part形符xíngfú

隹隹zhuī

Sound part声符shēngfú

厷

厷gōng雄xióng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

雄 is formed by putting 隹 together with 厷, with 厷 giving the character's sound.

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 鷹; 鹰 is its simplified writing.

䧹鳥鷹

Meaning part形符xíngfú

鳥鳥niǎobird

Sound part声符shēngfú

䧹

䧹䧹鷹yīng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鷹 combines 鳥 (bird) with 䧹, which gives the sound.

Appears in