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鹌 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鹌ānquail; Coturnix coturnixn, 13 strokes, radical 鸟
ān(an1)an T1
  1. 1quail; Coturnix coturnix
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March 24, 2026

鹌(鵪)ān(an1)

The character 鹌 (ān) refers specifically to a type of bird known as the quail, which is a small game bird often found in various parts of the world. In Chinese culture, quails are sometimes associated with delicacies in cuisine and have symbolic meanings in poetry and literature, representing modesty and subtlety.

Strokes13Radical鸟
Cultural note

In traditional Chinese poetry, the quail is often mentioned as a symbol of humble living and tranquility, reflecting the aesthetic values of nature in Chinese culture.

Memory tip

Imagine a small bird (the quail) with a soft 'a' sound as it chirps. The character 鹌 has the radical for bird (鳥) at the top, which helps you remember it refers to a type of bird. Visualize the quail hopping around, making soft sounds like 'ān' to reinforce the pronunciation.

Meanings of 鹌

ān(an1)
1quail; Coturnix coturnix
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 鹌 means.

About 鹌

鹌Simplified
鵪Traditional
13Strokes
鸟Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鹌

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Podcast: 鹌

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AI study notes for 鹌

Usage Notes

When using 鹌, ensure you are in contexts discussing birds or related cuisine. A common mistake is to confuse it with other bird names like 鸭 (yā) for duck. This character is more formal and less commonly used in casual conversation.

HSK Study Tips

Although 鹌 is not part of the standard HSK vocabulary, it can be linked to other animal-related words that may be at the same level. Focus on recognizing the bird radical (鳥) in other characters to enhance your vocabulary related to animals.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 鹌 with similar bird characters like 鸟 (niǎo) which means 'bird' in general. Remember that 鹌 specifically denotes 'quail' and is more specialized.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鹌

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Etymology of 鹌

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 鸟 represents the meaning and 奄 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鵪.

Memory hint

bird

Semantic (meaning)鸟
+
Phonetic (sound)奄
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

鹌 = 鸟 + 奄. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 鹌

IDS Structure⿰奄鸟
鹌Full character
=
奄yan1
left
鸟diao3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 鹌?

How to say quail; Coturnix coturnix in Chinese

“quail; Coturnix coturnix” in Chinese is鹌ān

The character 鹌 (ān) refers specifically to a type of bird known as the quail, which is a small game bird often found in various parts of the world. In Chinese culture, quails are sometimes associated with delicacies in cuisine and have symbolic meanings in poetry and literature, representing modesty and subtlety.

When to use 鹌

When using 鹌, ensure you are in contexts discussing birds or related cuisine. A common mistake is to confuse it with other bird names like 鸭 (yā) for duck. This character is more formal and less commonly used in casual conversation.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 鹌 with similar bird characters like 鸟 (niǎo) which means 'bird' in general. Remember that 鹌 specifically denotes 'quail' and is more specialized.

Write 鹌

鹌

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

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Grammar patterns of 鹌

鹌 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 3

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

我用那只枪打死过几百只____鹑。

I've shot hundreds of quail with that gun.

Example sentences for 鹌 (2)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我用那只枪打死过几百只鹌鹑。

wǒ yòng nà zhī qiāng dǎ sǐ guò jǐ bǎi zhī ān chún。

I've shot hundreds of quail with that gun.
2
鹌鹑在矮树丛里沙沙作响.

ān chún zài ǎi shù cóng lǐ Shā Shā zuō xiǎng.

Speckled quails rustled in the underbrush.

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Word Family of 鹌

Words containing this character2
鹌鹑quail鵪鶉
鹌ānquail鵪
Exercise 1 of 1

Words with 鹌

What does 鹌鹑 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 鹌

It is pronounced as 'ān', with a flat tone.

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