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.
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