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鲵 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鲵nísalamander; Cryptobranchus japonicusg, 16 strokes, radical 鱼
ní(ni2) T2
  1. 1salamander; Cryptobranchus japonicus
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March 24, 2026

鲵(鯢)ní(ni2)

The character 鲵 (ní) refers specifically to the salamander, a type of amphibian often found in damp environments. It is commonly used in biological contexts to denote various species of salamanders, including the Japanese giant salamander. This term is not frequently used in everyday conversation but may appear in scientific discussions or literature.

Strokes16Radical鱼
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, amphibians like the salamander are often associated with traditional medicine and folklore, where they are believed to have health benefits. The Japanese giant salamander is particularly notable in East Asian culture for its size and unique appearance.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'knee' (ní) that has been splashed with water, reminding you of the damp habitats where salamanders thrive. The character 鲵 contains the water radical (氵), symbolizing its aquatic nature, while the '二' component hints at the two distinct forms of salamanders.

Meanings of 鲵

ní(ni2)
1salamander; Cryptobranchus japonicus
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 鲵

鲵Simplified
鯢Traditional
16Strokes
鱼Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鲵

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Podcast: 鲵

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AI Study Notes for 鲵

Usage Notes

While 鲵 is a specific term, it may be confused with other amphibians like frogs or toads due to their similar habitats. This word is more formal and typically used in scientific contexts. Be careful with the tone; the second tone (ní) can be easily mispronounced, leading to misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

Although 鲵 does not appear in the HSK vocabulary lists, it can be related to other HSK words about animals and nature. Students should focus on recognizing this character in texts related to biology or zoology to broaden their vocabulary in specific contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 鲵 with similar amphibians, leading to errors like using it interchangeably with 'frog' (青蛙, qīngwā). Remember that 鲵 specifically refers to salamanders only.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鲵

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Etymology of 鲵

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

fish

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 鲵

  1. 1The meaning half鱼 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half兒 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 鲵? 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 鲵?

Decomposition of 鲵

IDS Structure⿰鱼兒
鲵Full Character
=
鱼Yu2
left
兒er2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 鲵?

How to say salamander; Cryptobranchus japonicus in Chinese

“salamander; Cryptobranchus japonicus” in Chinese is鲵ní

The character 鲵 (ní) refers specifically to the salamander, a type of amphibian often found in damp environments. It is commonly used in biological contexts to denote various species of salamanders, including the Japanese giant salamander. This term is not frequently used in everyday conversation but may appear in scientific discussions or literature.

When to use 鲵

While 鲵 is a specific term, it may be confused with other amphibians like frogs or toads due to their similar habitats. This word is more formal and typically used in scientific contexts. Be careful with the tone; the second tone (ní) can be easily mispronounced, leading to misunderstandings.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 鲵 with similar amphibians, leading to errors like using it interchangeably with 'frog' (青蛙, qīngwā). Remember that 鲵 specifically refers to salamanders only.

Write 鲵

鲵

Practice writing 鲵 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 鲵

Words Containing This Character2
大鲵giant salamander (Andrias japonicus)大鯢
鲵nísalamander鯢
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 大鲵 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 鲵

It is pronounced as 'ní' with a rising tone, similar to how you would say 'knee' in English.

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