啭 (zhuàn) - To warble & to chirp

啭Tone 4

zhuàn ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

志

啭 · zhuàn

To warble;

to chirp;

to trill;

to sing (of birds);

to twitter.

To warbleto chirpto trill

Usage highlights

Bird warbleWarbling soundWarbling orioleWarbling and chirpingClear warbleMelodious warble

Synonyms

  • 鸣— to chirp; to sing (of birds or animals)
  • 啼— to crow; to cry (of birds or animals)
  • 叫— to call; to cry out (general)

Antonyms

  • 寂— silence; quiet
  • 静— still; quiet

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The birds warble in the morning (鸟在清晨啭鸣).
  • She can imitate the trilling of birds (她会模仿鸟的啭声).
  • The nightingale's song is a beautiful warble (夜莺的歌声是美妙的啭鸣).
  • Listen to the birds chirping in the garden (听花园里鸟儿在啭).

Collocations

  • Bird warble(鸟啭)
  • Warbling sound(啭声)
  • Warbling oriole(啭莺)
  • Warbling and chirping(啭鸣)
  • Clear warble(清啭)
  • Melodious warble(妙啭)

Idioms

  • A hundred warblings, a thousand tweets(百啭千声)
  • Warbling orioles and dancing swallows(莺啭燕舞)
  • The oriole's warbling, the swallow's twittering(莺啭燕啼)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Primarily used in classical and literary Chinese to describe the beautiful, melodious singing of birds, especially nightingales and orioles.
  • Evokes imagery of spring, nature, and idyllic scenes, often associated with poetic and artistic expression.
  • The character is relatively rare in modern everyday usage but retains its poetic and descriptive power.

FAQ