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March 24, 2026
鰓sāi(sai1)
The character 鰓 (sāi) refers specifically to the gills of fish, which are the respiratory organs that allow them to extract oxygen from water. This term is primarily used in biological or ecological contexts, particularly when discussing marine life and their anatomy.
Strokes20Radical魚Frequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese cuisine, understanding fish anatomy, including 鰓, is important when preparing and cooking fish dishes, as fresh fish is a staple in many regional diets.
Memory Tip
Think of 鰓 as 'sigh' for fish—when they 'sigh' underwater, they are using their gills (鰓) to breathe. The radical 鱼 (yú), meaning fish, is a key component, helping you to visualize the idea of underwater breathing.
Meanings of 鰓
sāi(sai1)
1fish gills
Exercise 1 of 2
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About 鰓
鰓Simplified
20Strokes
魚Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 鰓
Podcast: 鰓
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AI Study Notes for 鰓
Quick Contrast
鳃 (sāi) refers to the gills of fish in a more general sense, while 鰓 (sāi) is used specifically in scientific contexts.
Memory Mnemonic
Think of 鰓 as 'sigh' for fish—when they 'sigh' underwater, they are using their gills (鰓) to breathe. The radical 鱼 (yú), meaning fish, is a key component, helping you to visualize the idea of underwater breathing.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 鰓 with similar terms referring to other parts of aquatic animals or related anatomy. This term is primarily used in formal contexts, such as scientific discussions about marine biology.
HSK Study Tips
Although 鰓 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it can be connected to HSK Level 3-4 words related to animals and biology, such as 鱼 (yú - fish) and 水 (shuǐ - water). Students should focus on recognizing the radical 鱼 to help identify related vocabulary.
Cultural Note
In Chinese cuisine, understanding fish anatomy, including 鰓, is important when preparing and cooking fish dishes, as fresh fish is a staple in many regional diets.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 鰓 with 鱼 (yú - fish) without recognizing the specific meaning of gills. For example, using 鱼来呼吸 (yú lái hūxī - fish breathe) instead of 鰓来呼吸 (sāi lái hūxī - gills breathe) is incorrect.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 鰓
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Cultural Notes for 鰓
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese cuisine, understanding fish anatomy, including 鰓, is important when preparing and cooking fish dishes, as fresh fish is a staple in many regional diets.
Word Family of 鰓
Words Containing This Character3
鳃sāigills of fish鰓
鳃裂gill slit (in fish)鰓裂
鳃弓visceral arch (gill-bearing arch or its vestigial crease on sides of neck of vertebrates)鰓弓
Exercise 1 of 3
Compound Meaning
What does 鳃 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 鰓
The pronunciation is sāi, with a first tone.
No, 鰓 is typically used in specialized contexts like biology rather than everyday conversation.
While 鰓 is specific to gills, you might encounter 容器 (róngqì - container) in discussions about fish anatomy, but it refers to a different concept.
