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鸩 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鸩zhèna bird resembling the secretary falconng, 9 strokes, radical 鸟, rank #68291, Very Hard
鸩zhènlegendary bird whose feathers can be used as poisonunknown, 9 strokes, radical 鸟, rank #68291, Very Hard
鸩zhènpoisonousunknown, 9 strokes, radical 鸟, rank #68291, Very Hard
鸩zhènto poison sbunknown, 9 strokes, radical 鸟, rank #68291, Very Hard
zhèn(zhen4) T4
  1. 1a bird resembling the secretary falcon
  2. 2legendary bird whose feathers can be used as poison
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

鸩(鴆)zhèn(zhen4)

The character 鸩 (zhèn) refers to a mythical bird that resembles a secretary falcon and is often associated with poison. In both historical texts and folklore, its feathers are said to be toxic, and the term can also be used as a verb meaning 'to poison someone.' This character is often encountered in literary contexts or discussions about ancient tales.

Strokes9Radical鸟Frequency#68291DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine and literature, the concept of poison is often associated with both physical ailments and moral corruption, reflecting deeper philosophical beliefs about balance and harmony.

Memory Tip

Imagine a bird (鸩) that looks like a secretary falcon, but instead of delivering messages, it delivers poison. The 'zh' in 'zhèn' sounds like 'zen'—think of a zen garden where this deadly bird lurks, emphasizing the contrast between beauty and danger.

Meanings of 鸩

zhèn(zhen4)
1a bird resembling the secretary falcon
2legendary bird whose feathers can be used as poison
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 鸩

鸩Simplified
鴆Traditional
9Strokes
鸟Radical
名语素míngcínoun root (n.root)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鸩

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Podcast: 鸩

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AI Study Notes for 鸩

Usage Notes

This character is not frequently used in daily conversation, making it more common in literature or historical texts. Be cautious with its usage, as it carries a serious connotation of poisoning, which can be sensitive in conversations. The verb form may be confused with other terms for harming someone, so context is important.

HSK Study Tips

Although 鸩 is not included in the HSK vocabulary, it connects with words related to birds (鸟, niǎo) and poison (毒, dú), which are HSK Level 3 and 4 words. Students should focus on the radicals and components to help remember its meaning and pronunciation.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 鸩 with other bird characters due to its specific reference to a mythical bird. For example, they might mistakenly use 鸟 (niǎo) instead of 鸩 when referring to birds in general, which is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鸩

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Etymology of 鸩

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

bird

Semantic (meaning)鸟
+
Phonetic (sound)冘
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 鸩

  1. 1The meaning half鸟 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half冘 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaybird
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 鸩? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 鸩?

Decomposition of 鸩

IDS Structure⿰冘鸟
鸩Full Character
=
冘yin2
left
鸟diao3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 鸩?

How to say a bird resembling the secretary falcon in Chinese

“a bird resembling the secretary falcon” in Chinese is鸩zhèn

The character 鸩 (zhèn) refers to a mythical bird that resembles a secretary falcon and is often associated with poison. In both historical texts and folklore, its feathers are said to be toxic, and the term can also be used as a verb meaning 'to poison someone.' This character is often encountered in literary contexts or discussions about ancient tales.

When to use 鸩

This character is not frequently used in daily conversation, making it more common in literature or historical texts. Be cautious with its usage, as it carries a serious connotation of poisoning, which can be sensitive in conversations. The verb form may be confused with other terms for harming someone, so context is important.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 鸩 with other bird characters due to its specific reference to a mythical bird. For example, they might mistakenly use 鸟 (niǎo) instead of 鸩 when referring to birds in general, which is incorrect.

Write 鸩

鸩

Practice writing 鸩 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 鸩

Words Containing This Character2
鸩zhènpoisonous鴆
饮鸩止渴fig. a supposed remedy that only makes matters worse飲鴆止渴
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 鸩 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 鸩

In modern Chinese, 鸩 primarily refers to the mythical poisonous bird and can also mean 'to poison someone'.

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Not sure what to learn after 鸩?

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