鹅毛 (é máo) — goose feather; (in idioms) a modest gift that symbolizes sincere feelings
Definition
Literally 'goose feather' — the literal sense appears in compounds like 鹅毛大雪 ('goose-feather snow', i.e. heavy snowfall). The set phrase 千里送鹅毛 ('sending a goose feather a thousand li') uses it to mean a small, humble gift carrying deep feeling.
noun
goose feather(in idioms) a modest gift that symbolizes sincere feelings
Measure word · 根
Examples
- 鹅毛，。Wài miàn xià zhe é máo dà xuě, lù shang yí gè rén dōu méi yǒu.Outside, huge goose-feather snowflakes are falling, and there's no one on the road.
- 鹅毛，。Qiān lǐ sòng é máo, lǐ qīng qíng yì zhòng.Sending a goose feather from a thousand li away — the gift is light but the feeling is deep.
- 鹅毛，。Tā sòng le wǒ yì gēn é máo, shuō shì jiā xiāng de tè chǎn.He gave me a goose feather, saying it was a specialty from his hometown.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.