鳥 meaning and stroke order
Bird
How to write 鳥, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 鳥
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- bird
- "bird" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 196)
- (dialect) to pay attention to
- (intensifier) damned
- goddamn
- variant of 屌[diao3]
- penis
How 鳥 is built
Pictographic character. A bird.
How to remember 鳥
鳥 (niǎo) is a picture of a bird. The top part is the head with an eye, the middle is the body and wing, and the four dots 灬 at the bottom are its claws or tail feathers.
鳥 is the traditional form; mainland China writes it 鸟. It appears in many everyday words like 小鳥 (xiǎoniǎo, small bird) and the slang 菜鳥 (càiniǎo, rookie). Example: 樹上有一隻鳥。(Shù shàng yǒu yī zhī niǎo.) There is a bird in the tree.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 鳥 (niǎo) with 烏 (wū, crow), which has no stroke for the eye inside the head. Remember the crow is so black you cannot see its eye.
Common words with 鳥
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 鳥巢 | niǎocháo | bird's nest; nickname for Beijing 2008 Olympic stadium | HSK 7-9 |
| 小鳥 | xiǎoniǎo | small bird; young bird (hatchling, nestling, fledgling, chick) | |
| 鳥兒 | niǎor | bird | |
| 菜鳥 | càiniǎo | (coll.) sb new to a particular subject; rookie | |
| 鳥類 | niǎolèi | birds | |
| 飛鳥 | fēiniǎo | bird | |
| 鳥事 | niǎoshì | damn thing; (not one's) goddamn business | |
| 火烈鳥 | huǒlièniǎo | flamingo | |
| 鳥嘴 | niǎozuǐ | beak | |
| 鴕鳥 | tuóniǎo | ostrich | |
| 啄木鳥 | zhuómùniǎo | woodpecker | |
| 知更鳥 | zhīgēngniǎo | redbreast; robin | |
| 蜂鳥 | fēngniǎo | hummingbird |
Characters that contain 鳥
Learning 鳥 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 鳥
How many strokes are in 鳥?
鳥 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 鳥 mean?
鳥 (niǎo) means bird. A common word with it is 鸟巢 (niǎocháo), meaning "bird's nest; nickname for Beijing 2008 Olympic stadium".
How do you pronounce 鳥?
鳥 is pronounced niǎo, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the simplified form of 鳥?
鳥 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 鸟, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why do 鳥 and 灬 look related to fire?
The four dots at the bottom of 鳥 look like the fire radical 灬, but here they represent the bird's feet or tail, not fire. The shape is the same, but the meaning comes from the bird picture.
Is 鳥 ever rude?
Yes. In some slang and dialect uses it works as a crude intensifier, like 鳥事 (niǎoshì, damn thing). It can also be read diǎo as a vulgar word for penis, so be careful with context.