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雎 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
雎jūosprey, fish hawk; to hold backHSK 7, g, 13 strokes, radical 隹, Very Hard
jū(ju1) T1
  1. 1osprey, fish hawk; to hold back
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

雎jū(ju1)

The character 雎 (jū) refers to the osprey, a bird of prey known for its fishing skills. This character is often used in literary contexts and can symbolize themes of nature and hunting. It can also imply the act of holding back or restraining, reflecting a duality in its meanings.

Strokes13Radical隹DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese literature, the osprey is often a symbol of freedom and precision in hunting, which ties into the appreciation of nature within Chinese culture. The character may also appear in classical poetry reflecting this symbolism.

Memory Tip

Imagine an osprey (the bird) soaring high in the sky, holding back its talons as it hovers above the water, ready to dive for fish. The character 雎 looks like a bird in flight, with the top part resembling wings and the bottom part suggesting a body. Connect 'jū' with the image of an osprey to remember the pronunciation.

Meanings of 雎

jū(ju1)
1osprey, fish hawk; to hold back
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 雎

雎Simplified
13Strokes
隹Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 雎

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Podcast: 雎

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AI Study Notes for 雎

Usage Notes

The character 雎 is rarely used in everyday conversation, making it more suitable for poetry or classical literature. Learners often confuse it with other similar-sounding characters. When using this character, ensure the context is appropriate to avoid sounding overly formal.

HSK Study Tips

While 雎 is not an HSK level word, understanding its components can help with recognizing other bird-related terms in Chinese. Focus on the radicals; for instance, the '鸟' radical signifies it's related to birds, which can help in vocabulary building.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 雎 with other bird-related characters due to similar pronunciations and meanings. For example, confusing it with 鸟 (niǎo), which simply means 'bird'. Always check the context to ensure you're using the correct term.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 雎

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Etymology of 雎

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

bird

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 雎

  1. 1The meaning half隹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half且 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 雎? 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 雎?

Decomposition of 雎

IDS Structure⿰且隹
雎Full Character
=
且qie3
left
隹zhui1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 雎?

How to say osprey, fish hawk; to hold back in Chinese

“osprey, fish hawk; to hold back” in Chinese is雎jū

The character 雎 (jū) refers to the osprey, a bird of prey known for its fishing skills. This character is often used in literary contexts and can symbolize themes of nature and hunting. It can also imply the act of holding back or restraining, reflecting a duality in its meanings.

When to use 雎

The character 雎 is rarely used in everyday conversation, making it more suitable for poetry or classical literature. Learners often confuse it with other similar-sounding characters. When using this character, ensure the context is appropriate to avoid sounding overly formal.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 雎 with other bird-related characters due to similar pronunciations and meanings. For example, confusing it with 鸟 (niǎo), which simply means 'bird'. Always check the context to ensure you're using the correct term.

Write 雎

雎

Practice writing 雎 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 雎

Words Containing This Character1
雎jūosprey
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 雎 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 雎

The pronunciation is 'jū', similar to the sound of 'ju' in 'juice'.

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