Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
鹛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鹛méicormorantg, 14 strokes, radical 鸟
鹛méibabbler (bird)unknown, 14 strokes, radical 鸟
méi(mei2) T2
  1. 1cormorant
  2. 2babbler (bird)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

鹛(鶥)méi(mei2)

The character 鹛 (méi) refers to the cormorant, a waterbird known for its diving abilities and often found near lakes and rivers. In a broader sense, it can also refer to a babbler, a type of bird known for its chatty and social behavior. This character is used in specific contexts related to birdwatching or discussions about wildlife.

Strokes14Radical鸟
Cultural Note

Cormorants have been historically significant in China for fishing, particularly in areas like the Li River, where fishermen use trained cormorants to catch fish, showcasing a unique aspect of Chinese fishing culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a cormorant (鹛) diving into the water to catch fish, its wings spread wide. The character 鹛 resembles the shape of a bird in flight, with the left radical being a depiction of its feathers and the right suggesting its vocal nature, echoing the 'babbler' meaning.

Meanings of 鹛

méi(mei2)
1cormorant
2babbler (bird)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 鹛

鹛Simplified
鶥Traditional
14Strokes
鸟Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鹛

JasonAmy

Podcast: 鹛

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 鹛

Usage Notes

While 鹛 is not commonly used in everyday conversation, it might appear in literary or ecological contexts. Learners should be cautious not to confuse it with similar-sounding characters like 美 (měi), which means beautiful. Always use the correct tone when pronouncing méi to avoid misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

As 鹛 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, learners should focus on its components and related characters associated with birds. Connecting it with other bird-related vocabulary can enhance memory retention and context usage.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 鹛 with other similar characters due to pronunciation similarities. For example, saying 美 (měi) instead of 鹛 (méi) when discussing birds can lead to confusion, as 美 means beautiful.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鹛

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 鹛 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 鹛

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

bird

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 鹛

  1. 1The meaning half鸟 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half眉 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 鹛? 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 鹛?

Decomposition of 鹛

IDS Structure⿰眉鸟
鹛Full Character
=
眉mei2
left
鸟diao3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 鹛?

How to say cormorant in Chinese

“cormorant” in Chinese is鹛méi

The character 鹛 (méi) refers to the cormorant, a waterbird known for its diving abilities and often found near lakes and rivers. In a broader sense, it can also refer to a babbler, a type of bird known for its chatty and social behavior. This character is used in specific contexts related to birdwatching or discussions about wildlife.

When to use 鹛

While 鹛 is not commonly used in everyday conversation, it might appear in literary or ecological contexts. Learners should be cautious not to confuse it with similar-sounding characters like 美 (měi), which means beautiful. Always use the correct tone when pronouncing méi to avoid misunderstandings.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 鹛 with other similar characters due to pronunciation similarities. For example, saying 美 (měi) instead of 鹛 (méi) when discussing birds can lead to confusion, as 美 means beautiful.

Write 鹛

鹛

Practice writing 鹛 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 鹛

Words Containing This Character1
鹛méibabbler (bird)鶥
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 鹛 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 鹛

The correct pronunciation is méi, with a rising tone.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 鹛?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.