jik6翼
Jyutpingjik6
Yaleyihk
Definition
The wing of an animal, or a wing-shaped object.
neutralanimalsdescriptions
How it's used
While 翼 refers to the biological wing of birds or insects, it is also commonly used to describe wing-shaped structures on man-made objects like airplanes or buildings. In everyday speech, it is frequently paired with 拍 to describe the action of flapping. It is distinct from the more literary term 翅, which is often reserved for culinary contexts like shark fin.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
The bird is injured and cannot flap its wings.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 翼 with 翅. While 翼 is the standard term for the physical limb used for flight, 翅 is almost exclusively used in food-related contexts, such as 雞翅 or 魚翅, and is rarely used to describe the actual biological wing of a living creature in casual conversation.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
