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鸱 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鸱chīkite, horned owl; wine cupsg, 10 strokes, radical 鸟
鸱chīscops owlunknown, 10 strokes, radical 鸟
chī(chi1) T1
  1. 1kite, horned owl; wine cups
  2. 2scops owl
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

鸱(鴟)chī(chi1)

The character 鸱 (chī) refers to a type of bird, specifically the kite or horned owl. It can also denote wine cups and is associated with the scops owl, a small owl known for its distinctive calls. This character is often used in literary contexts or when discussing birds in general.

Strokes10Radical鸟
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, owls are often associated with wisdom and mystery. The concept of 'watching over' or 'being observant' can also connect to traditional beliefs about owls being protectors of the night.

Memory Tip

Think of a wise owl (鸱) sitting on a tree, its large eyes scanning the surroundings, reminiscent of someone sipping wine from a cup. The bird's shape can be visualized as having two prominent 'horns,' which can help you remember the pronunciation 'chī' through the image of a chubby, charming owl.

Meanings of 鸱

chī(chi1)
1kite, horned owl; wine cups
2scops owl
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 鸱

鸱Simplified
鴟Traditional
10Strokes
鸟Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鸱

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Podcast: 鸱

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AI Study Notes for 鸱

Usage Notes

While 鸱 is not commonly used in everyday conversation, it can appear in poetry or literature related to nature. Be careful not to confuse it with similar characters for other birds, as context is key. It's generally used in a literary or formal register rather than informal speech.

HSK Study Tips

As 鸱 does not belong to the HSK vocabulary list, learners might encounter it in literature or specialized texts. Focus on recognizing the character within specific contexts, especially when studying bird-related vocabulary or themes in Chinese literature.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 鸱 with similar characters like 鸟 (bird) due to their shared context. For instance, mistakenly using 鸱 for general bird references instead of the specific owl or kite context can lead to misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鸱

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Etymology of 鸱

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

bird

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 鸱

  1. 1The meaning half鸟 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half氐 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 鸱? 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 鸱?

Decomposition of 鸱

IDS Structure⿰氐鸟
鸱Full Character
=
氐Di1
left
鸟diao3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 鸱?

How to say kite, horned owl; wine cups in Chinese

“kite, horned owl; wine cups” in Chinese is鸱chī

The character 鸱 (chī) refers to a type of bird, specifically the kite or horned owl. It can also denote wine cups and is associated with the scops owl, a small owl known for its distinctive calls. This character is often used in literary contexts or when discussing birds in general.

When to use 鸱

While 鸱 is not commonly used in everyday conversation, it can appear in poetry or literature related to nature. Be careful not to confuse it with similar characters for other birds, as context is key. It's generally used in a literary or formal register rather than informal speech.

What learners get wrong

Learners might confuse 鸱 with similar characters like 鸟 (bird) due to their shared context. For instance, mistakenly using 鸱 for general bird references instead of the specific owl or kite context can lead to misunderstandings.

Write 鸱

鸱

Practice writing 鸱 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 鸱

Words Containing This Character1
鸱chīscops owl鴟
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 鸱 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 鸱

It is pronounced as 'chī'.

Jason Recommends

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