鼴 (yǎn) - Mole — refers to small burrowing mammals of & also used in some compound words.

鼴Tone 3

yǎn ｜ 22 strokes ｜ radical:

妍嬿

鼴 · yǎn

Mole — refers to small burrowing mammals of the family Talpidae;

also used in some compound words.

Mole — refers to small burrowing mammals ofalso used in some compound words.

Usage highlights

MoleMole cricketMolehillBurrowing mole

Synonyms

  • 鼹— Simplified form of 鼴
  • 田鼠— Field mouse/vole (different but sometimes confused)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The mole digs tunnels underground (鼴鼠挖地道).
  • We found molehills in the garden (花园里有鼴鼠丘).
  • The star-nosed mole is a unique species (星鼻鼴是一种独特的物种).

Collocations

  • Mole(鼴鼠)
  • Mole cricket(鼴鼠蟋蟀)
  • Molehill(鼴鼠丘)
  • Mole-like(似鼴的)
  • Burrowing mole(掘土鼴鼠)

Idioms

  • As blind as a mole(鼴鼠之目)
  • Mole's measure of the sea(鼴鼠饮河)
  • Mole's tunnel vision(鼴鼠之见)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, moles are often associated with blindness or limited vision due to their poor eyesight.
  • Moles appear in classical Chinese texts as metaphors for limited perspective or narrow understanding.
  • The character 鼴 is relatively rare in modern usage, primarily appearing in biological contexts.

FAQ