鹤 hè crane
How to remember 鹤: 隺 high flyer + 鸟 bird = crane. Grandpa points to a high flyer far above the lake, a huge white bird with long legs, and whispers "That is a crane."
Component breakdown
鹤 = 隺 high flyer + 鸟 bird
- 隺 high flyer
- 鸟 bird
Grandpa points to a high flyer far above the lake, a huge white bird with long legs, and whispers "That is a crane."
How it is used
- Crane - 仙鹤 (xiānhè) the red-crowned crane, a symbol of longevity (paired with pines and immortals).
- Its famous idiom: 鹤立鸡群 (hèlìjīqún) 'a crane standing among chickens' = to stand out conspicuously above the crowd, be head and shoulders above others.
- Literary/auspicious register; 鹤发童颜 (hèfà-tóngyán) = white-haired but youthful-faced, hale in old age.