jin1鴛鸳
Jyutpingjin1
Yaleyīn
Definition
Male mandarin duck.
writtenanimals
How it's used
Literary and formal contexts are where this character primarily resides, as it is rarely used in isolation in daily speech. It is almost exclusively encountered as part of the compound 鴛鴦, which describes the iconic pair of ducks or the famous Hong Kong drink mixing coffee and tea. Using it alone to refer to a male duck sounds highly poetic or archaic.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
Mandarin ducks usually appear in pairs.
Have you ever seen where the male mandarin duck appears?
Related words
Common phrases
mandarin duck or a mix of coffee and tea
Common mistake
Do not confuse the character with 鴦, which refers to the female duck. They are rarely used separately, so always stick to the full compound 鴛鴦 unless you are specifically writing classical-style poetry.
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.
