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鯛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鯛diāoporgy; Pagrosomus majorx, 19 strokes, radical 魚
diāo(diao1) T1
  1. 1porgy; Pagrosomus major
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

鯛diāo(diao1)

The character 鯛 (diāo) refers to a type of fish known as porgy, particularly the species Pagrosomus major. This term is commonly used in culinary contexts, especially in regions where seafood is a staple in the diet, highlighting the importance of fish in Chinese cuisine.

Strokes19Radical魚
Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, fish is considered a symbol of abundance and prosperity, especially during festive occasions like the Lunar New Year, where dishes featuring 鯛 are popular for their auspicious meanings.

Memory Tip

Imagine a large, shiny fish (like a porgy) swimming in the ocean, and picture its scales reflecting the sun's rays. The character 鯛 has the radical 魚 (fish) on the left, emphasizing its meaning related to fish. The pronunciation 'diāo' sounds like 'dive' – think of diving into the sea to catch this delicious fish.

Meanings of 鯛

diāo(diao1)
1porgy; Pagrosomus major
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 鯛

鯛Simplified
19Strokes
魚Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鯛

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Podcast: 鯛

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AI Study Notes for 鯛

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the pronunciation, as misplacing the tones can lead to confusion with other words. 鯛 is more commonly used in informal conversations about food, while in formal settings, you might encounter its more scientific or culinary names. Typical collocations include 鯛魚 (diāo yú, porgy fish) and 鯛湯 (diāo tāng, porgy soup).

HSK Study Tips

While 鯛 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects to HSK Level 3 food-related terms, such as 魚 (yú, fish) and 海鮮 (hǎixiān, seafood). Students should focus on recognizing the fish radical 魚 and understanding its culinary significance in Chinese culture.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 鯛 with similar-sounding fish names like 鮪 (wěi, tuna) or 鮫 (jiā, shark). It's important to remember that 鯛 specifically refers to porgy, which is distinct in both taste and culinary use.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鯛

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Etymology of 鯛

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

fish

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 鯛

  1. 1The meaning half魚 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half周 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayfish
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 鯛? 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 鯛?

Decomposition of 鯛

IDS Structure⿰魚周
鯛Full Character
=
魚yu2
left
周Zhou1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 鯛?

How to say porgy; Pagrosomus major in Chinese

“porgy; Pagrosomus major” in Chinese is鯛diāo

The character 鯛 (diāo) refers to a type of fish known as porgy, particularly the species Pagrosomus major. This term is commonly used in culinary contexts, especially in regions where seafood is a staple in the diet, highlighting the importance of fish in Chinese cuisine.

When to use 鯛

Be cautious with the pronunciation, as misplacing the tones can lead to confusion with other words. 鯛 is more commonly used in informal conversations about food, while in formal settings, you might encounter its more scientific or culinary names. Typical collocations include 鯛魚 (diāo yú, porgy fish) and 鯛湯 (diāo tāng, porgy soup).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 鯛 with similar-sounding fish names like 鮪 (wěi, tuna) or 鮫 (jiā, shark). It's important to remember that 鯛 specifically refers to porgy, which is distinct in both taste and culinary use.

Write 鯛

鯛

Practice writing 鯛 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 鯛

Words Containing This Character1
鲷diāoporgy鯛
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 鲷 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 鯛

Besides 鯛, common fish include 鮭 (guī, salmon) and 鱔 (shàn, eel), each with its own cultural significance in dishes.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 鯛?

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.