鹳 (guàn) - Stork — a large, long-legged wading bird with

鹳Tone 4

guàn ｜ 22 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

鹳 · guàn

Stork — a large, long-legged wading bird with a long bill, often associated with delivering babies in Western folklore and symbolizing longevity in Chinese culture.

Stork — a large, long-legged wading bird with

Usage highlights

White storkBlack storkStork nestOriental storkStork familyStork's beak

Synonyms

  • 鹤— crane (similar large wading bird, often used interchangeably in symbolic context)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • We saw a white stork (白鹳) nesting on the rooftop.
  • The stork is a protected species (鹳是保护物种).
  • In Chinese art, the stork often accompanies immortals (仙鹤与鹳).

Collocations

  • White stork(白鹳)
  • Black stork(黑鹳)
  • Stork nest(鹳巢)
  • Oriental stork(东方鹳)
  • Stork family(鹳科)
  • Stork's beak(鹳嘴)

Idioms

  • The stork stands among chickens — a standout among inferiors(鹤立鸡群)
  • Like a stork in a flock of chickens — markedly superior(鹳入鸡群)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, storks (particularly cranes, often conflated) symbolize longevity, immortality, and elegance.
  • Storks appear in traditional paintings alongside pine trees and tortoises, representing long life.
  • Unlike Western 'stork delivering babies' folklore, Chinese tradition emphasizes the stork's noble, transcendent qualities.

FAQ