鹢 (yì) - Yì — a type of water bird, possibly & historically refers to a mythical aquatic bird

鹢Tone 4

yì ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

一懿

鹢 · yì

Yì — a type of water bird, possibly a tern or egret;

historically refers to a mythical aquatic bird;

used in classical literature and poetry.

Yì — a type of water bird, possiblyhistorically refers to a mythical aquatic birdused in classical literature and poetry.

Usage highlights

Yì birdPainted yìYì boatYì headFlying yìYì and osprey

Synonyms

  • 鷁— Alternative form of 鹢
  • 水鸟— water bird (general term)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The boat was decorated with a yì bird figurehead (画鹢).
  • He saw a flock of yì birds by the lake (鹢鸟).
  • The poem mentions the yì bird in flight (飞鹢).

Collocations

  • Yì bird(鹢鸟)
  • Painted yì (as boat decoration)(画鹢)
  • Yì boat(鹢舟)
  • Yì head (on boats)(鹢首)
  • Flying yì(飞鹢)
  • Yì and osprey(鹢鷁)

Idioms

  • The yì boat moves against the wind(鹢舟逆风)
  • Yì head turns(鹢首徐回)
  • Yì and duckweed(鹢泛萍)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient China, yì birds were painted on boats as protective symbols and for good luck.
  • The yì bird appears in classical Chinese poetry as an elegant, aquatic bird imagery.
  • Mentions of yì birds are found in historical texts like 'Classic of Poetry' and 'Erya'.

FAQ