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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "penguin" in Chinese?
企鹅
qǐ é
In Chinese, "penguin" is 企鹅.
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Pronunciation
Say 'chee' (rising third tone) followed by 'uh' (level, flat tone). Start low, dip slightly, then end high and level.
Writing and usage
企 uses 6 strokes and in this context relates to standing upright. 鹅 uses 12 strokes with the bird radical and means goose. The compound captures the penguin's upright stance.
Example sentence
企鹅住在冰上。
Penguins live on ice.
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How to remember 企鹅
Picture a penguin standing upright like it's on tiptoes. The characters suggest that posture.
Related words
- deer 鹿 lù
- elephant 象 xiàng
- gorilla 大猩猩 dà xīng xing
- hippo 河马 hé mǎ
- lion 公狮 gōng shī
- ostrich 鸵鸟 tuó niǎo
- peacock 孔雀 kǒng què
- wolf 狼 láng
- zebra 斑马 bān mǎ
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 企鹅
How do you say "penguin" in Chinese?
In Chinese, "penguin" is 企鹅. It is a noun.
How is 企鹅 written in Chinese?
企 uses 6 strokes and in this context relates to standing upright. 鹅 uses 12 strokes with the bird radical and means goose. The compound captures the penguin's upright stance.
How is 企鹅 used in a sentence?
Use 企鹅 as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: 企鹅住在冰上。 (Penguins live on ice.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
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"Penguin" in other languages
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