莺 meaning and stroke order
Oriole, green finch; Sylvia species (various)
How to write 莺, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 莺
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- oriole or various birds of the Sylvidae family including warblers
- variant of 鶯|莺[ying1]
How 莺 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A bird 鸟 covered in 冖 green 艹 feathers.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 莺
Picture a small bird 鸟 tucked under a cover 冖 of green grass 艹. The etymology hint describes it as a bird covered in green feathers, which fits a little songbird like an oriole or warbler hiding in the leaves.
莺 (yīng) is rarely used alone. It usually appears in bird names and in literary phrases about spring. The most common word is 夜莺 (yèyīng), nightingale: 夜莺在唱歌。(Yèyīng zài chàng gē.) The nightingale is singing.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 莺 (yīng) with 鹰 (yīng, eagle), since they share the same sound and both contain 鸟. Remember that 莺 has grass 艹 on top for a small songbird, while 鹰 has 广 for a big bird of prey.
Common words with 莺
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 夜莺 | yèyīng | nightingale |
莺 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 莺
How many strokes are in 莺?
莺 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 莺 mean?
莺 (yīng) means oriole, green finch; Sylvia species (various). A common word with it is 夜莺 (yèyīng), meaning "nightingale".
How do you pronounce 莺?
莺 is pronounced yīng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 莺?
The radical of 莺 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 莺 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 莺?
The traditional form of 莺 is 鶯 and 鸎. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 莺 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does the phrase 莺歌燕舞 mean?
莺歌燕舞 (yīng gē yàn wǔ) literally means orioles sing and swallows dance. It describes a lively spring scene, and by extension a happy, flourishing situation.
Is 莺 the same as the word for oriole in modern Chinese?
Not exactly. In everyday modern Chinese, the oriole is usually called 黄鹂 (huánglí). 莺 covers various small songbirds such as warblers and appears more in literature and compound names.