青鸟 (qīng diǎo) — blue bird (mythological messenger of the Queen Mother of the West); messenger (in literature and poetry)

Definition

Mythological 'blue bird' from Chinese legend — the divine messenger of the Queen Mother of the West (西王母), later used in poetry as a symbol for any bearer of news or longing from afar.

noun
blue bird (mythological messenger of the Queen Mother of the West)messenger (in literature and poetry)
Measure word · 只
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，青鸟。
    Zài gǔ dài shén huà zhōng, qīng diǎo shì chuán dì xiāo xi de shén niǎo.
    In ancient mythology, the blue bird was a divine bird that delivered messages.
  • 青鸟。
    Zhè shǒu shī yòng qīng diǎo lái xiàng zhēng yuǎn fāng qīn rén de wèn hòu.
    This poem uses the blue bird as a symbol of greetings from faraway loved ones.
  • 青鸟，。
    Rén men cháng bǎ xìn shǐ bǐ zuò qīng diǎo, biǎo dá duì xiāo xi de qī pàn.
    People often compare a messenger to the blue bird, expressing hope for news.

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.

青qīngblue
鸟niǎobird

The 青 bird 鸟 is a mythic messenger.

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.

An early form of 青 combined 生 and 井, both used for sound; the modern form has changed.

Open 青 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鳥; 鸟 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 鳥 came from a drawing of a bird with a dangling tail; the simplified 鸟 is a later abbreviation.

Open 鸟 →

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