Question 1

What are bird names in Chinese?

Accepted Answer

Bird is 鸟 (niǎo), and many bird names end in it: 啄木鸟 (zhuómùniǎo) woodpecker, 布谷鸟 (bùgǔniǎo) cuckoo. The birds you hear about most are the sparrow 麻雀 (máquè), the pigeon 鸽子 (gēzi), the swallow 燕子 (yànzi), the magpie 喜鹊 (xǐquè), the crane 鹤 (hè), the eagle 老鹰 (lǎoyīng) and the owl 猫头鹰 (māotóuyīng), literally the cat-headed hawk.

Question 2

What do birds symbolize in Chinese culture?

Accepted Answer

The crane 鹤 (hè) stands for long life, the magpie 喜鹊 (xǐquè) for joy, since its name starts with 喜, and a pair of mandarin ducks 鸳鸯 (yuānyāng) for a devoted couple. The phoenix 凤凰 (fènghuáng) was the empress’s bird, and the wild goose 鸿雁 (hóngyàn) carries letters in poems. The crow 乌鸦 (wūyā) is bad luck: 乌鸦嘴, a crow’s mouth, is someone who says things that jinx you.

Question 3

Why do Chinese people eat fish at New Year?

Accepted Answer

Fish, 鱼 (yú), sounds like 余 (yú), surplus, so a whole fish on New Year’s Eve wishes you 年年有余 (nián nián yǒu yú), plenty every year. Many families leave some of it uneaten, so there is still some left over.

Question 4

What does the carp mean in Chinese culture?

Accepted Answer

Success through effort. In the legend of 鲤鱼跃龙门 (lǐyú yuè lóngmén), the carp that leaps over the Dragon Gate on the Yellow River turns into a dragon, so it stands for passing an exam or rising in the world. The koi, 锦鲤 (jǐnlǐ), is now also online slang for a lucky charm.

Question 5

What are the names of fish in Chinese?

Accepted Answer

Almost every fish name ends in 鱼 (yú). The fish you meet most on a menu are 草鱼 (cǎoyú) grass carp, 鲈鱼 (lúyú) sea bass, 鲫鱼 (jìyú) crucian carp, 带鱼 (dàiyú) hairtail and 三文鱼 (sānwényú) salmon. Some sea creatures are called fish too: 鱿鱼 (yóuyú) squid, 章鱼 (zhāngyú) octopus and 鲸鱼 (jīngyú) whale.

Question 6

What do trees symbolize in China?

Accepted Answer

The pine 松 (sōng), bamboo 竹 (zhú) and plum 梅 (méi) are the three friends of winter, 岁寒三友 (suì hán sān yǒu), for holding firm in hard times. The willow 柳 (liǔ) sounds like 留 (liú), stay, so friends once gave a willow branch at parting. The peach tree 桃树 (táoshù) is for long life, from the peaches of immortality.

Question 7

Can’t hear it?

Accepted Answer

Play uses your device’s Mandarin voice. Edge, Chrome and Safari have one; a browser with none plays each character in our recorded voice instead.

	Name	Stands for	Why
Crane	鹤 hè	Long life	The mount of the immortals, painted with the pine
Magpie	喜鹊 xǐquè	Joy, good news	Its name starts with 喜, joy
Mandarin ducks	鸳鸯 yuānyāng	A devoted couple	They swim in pairs
Carp	鲤鱼 lǐyú	Success	The carp that leaps the Dragon Gate becomes a dragon
Fish	鱼 yú	Plenty	It sounds like 余, surplus: 年年有余
Pine, bamboo, plum	松竹梅	Holding firm	Green or blooming through winter: 岁寒三友
Willow	柳 liǔ	Parting	It sounds like 留, stay
Crow	乌鸦 wūyā	Bad luck	Its cry is heard as an omen

Chinese bird, fish and tree names

What birds, fish and trees stand for

Birds that carry a meaning

Common birds

Fish that carry a meaning

Fish and sea creatures

Trees that carry a meaning

Common trees

Forest words

Sayings