唳 (lì) - The cry of a crane or wild goose & a shrill, piercing sound made by birds.

唳Tone 4

lì ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

唳 · lì

The cry of a crane or wild goose;

a shrill, piercing sound made by birds.

The cry of a crane or wild goosea shrill, piercing sound made by birds.

Usage highlights

Crane's cryWild goose's callCry of cranes and scream of monkeysWind sounds and crane criesCranes calling in the sky

Synonyms

  • 鸣— to cry, call (general term for animal sounds)
  • 啼— to cry, wail (often for birds or animals)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The lonely crane cried out (风声鹤唳).
  • We heard the cry of wild geese (雁唳长空).
  • The sound of cranes calling (鹤唳之声) echoed through the mountains.

Collocations

  • Crane's cry(鹤唳)
  • Wild goose's call(雁唳)
  • Cry of cranes and scream of monkeys(猿啼鹤唳)
  • Wind sounds and crane cries(风声鹤唳)
  • Cranes calling in the sky(唳鹤凌霄)

Idioms

  • Wind sounds and crane cries — extreme nervousness and fear(风声鹤唳)
  • Cranes calling and apes screaming — desolate scene(猿啼鹤唳)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often used in classical Chinese poetry to evoke images of solitude and wilderness.
  • Associated with cranes, which symbolize longevity and immortality in Chinese culture.
  • The idiom 'wind sounds and crane cries' (风声鹤唳) originates from a famous historical battle where soldiers mistook natural sounds for enemy attacks.

FAQ