蟹 (xiè) - Crab — a marine or freshwater crustacean with

蟹Tone 4

xiè ｜ 19 strokes ｜ radical:

想信

蟹 · xiè

Crab — a marine or freshwater crustacean with a broad carapace, stalked eyes, and five pairs of legs, the first pair of which are modified as pincers.

Crab — a marine or freshwater crustacean with

Usage highlights

CrabsHairy crabCrab roeCrab meatKing crabHermit crab

Synonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • We ate steamed crab (蒸蟹) for dinner.
  • The crab scuttled sideways across the sand (螃蟹).
  • Crab roe is a delicacy (蟹黄).
  • He was born under the zodiac sign of the Crab (巨蟹座).

Collocations

  • Crabs(螃蟹)
  • Hairy crab(大闸蟹)
  • Crab roe(蟹黄)
  • Crab meat(蟹肉)
  • King crab(帝王蟹)
  • Hermit crab(寄居蟹)

Idioms

  • Crab's sideways walk — devious behavior(横行霸道)
  • Crabs lack flesh — insubstantial(无肠公子)
  • The toad wants to eat swan meat, the crab wants to fly — unrealistic ambitions(癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉，螃蟹想飞天)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Crabs are a symbol of prosperity and good fortune in some Chinese coastal cultures due to their association with harvest from the sea.
  • The crab's sideways walk is metaphorically used to describe someone who acts in a bullying, unreasonable, or domineering manner.
  • The Chinese zodiac does not include a crab, but the crab is associated with the Western zodiac sign Cancer, which translates to 'Giant Crab' (巨蟹座) in Chinese.

FAQ