鷽 (xué) - Xue — refers to a type of small & also used metaphorically for someone who appears foolish

鷽Tone 2

xué ｜ 24 strokes ｜ radical:

信嫣

鷽 · xué

Xue — refers to a type of small bird, specifically the bullfinch;

also used metaphorically for someone who appears foolish but is actually wise.

Xue — refers to a type of smallalso used metaphorically for someone who appears foolish

Usage highlights

BullfinchXue sparrowXue's cryXue and doveFoolish xueXue's transformation

Synonyms

  • 雀— sparrow (general small bird)
  • 愚— foolish (sharing the metaphorical sense)

Antonyms

  • 智— wisdom (antithetical to the foolish appearance)
  • 明— bright/clear (opposite of hidden wisdom)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The bullfinch (鷽) is a small songbird found in East Asia.
  • He seemed simple but was actually quite wise, like the xue bird (鷽).
  • In classical texts, the xue (鷽) represents hidden wisdom.
  • The bullfinch's song (鷽鸣) is mentioned in poetry.

Collocations

  • Bullfinch(鷽鸟)
  • Xue sparrow(鷽雀)
  • Xue's cry(鷽鸣)
  • Xue and dove(鷽鸠)
  • Foolish xue(愚鷽)
  • Xue's transformation(鷽化)

Idioms

  • The xue laughs at the dove(鷽笑鸠)
  • Transforming into a xue(化而为鷽)
  • The xue knows contentment(鷽知足)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese folklore, the xue bird appears foolish but possesses hidden wisdom, representing the concept of 'great wisdom appearing foolish'.
  • The character appears in Zhuangzi's philosophical texts as a metaphor for transformation and perception.
  • Rarely used in modern Chinese except in literary or philosophical contexts.

FAQ