乌鸦
wūyā
The English word "crow" is translated into Chinese as 乌鸦 (wūyā).
乌鸦 is used as a noun to refer to any bird of the genus Corvus.
Meaning: any bird of the genus Corvus (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 乌 (wū), meaning black and 鸦 (yā), meaning crow or raven.
Which one should you use?
While 乌鸦 (wūyā) refers to the bird itself, the verb 打鸣 (dǎmíng) is used specifically to mean the act of a rooster crowing.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
wūyā
When do people say it?
In many Chinese cultural contexts, the crow is often viewed as an omen of bad luck or a harbinger of misfortune.
Did you know?
- The phrase 乌鸦嘴 literally means 'crow mouth' and is used to describe someone who consistently makes predictions that unfortunately come true.
- In many Chinese folklore traditions, the crow is not just a bad omen, but is actually seen as a divine bird from the sun, specifically the 'three-legged crow' known as 三足乌 (sānzúwū).
- Despite the negative connotation of 乌鸦, the color 乌 is often used poetically to describe beautiful, lustrous black hair.
Examples in context
- 那只乌鸦在树上。Nà zhī wūyā zài shù shàng.That crow is in the tree.
- 我看到了一只黑色的乌鸦。Wǒ kàndào le yì zhī hēisè de wūyā.I saw a black crow.
- 乌鸦的叫声很响。Wūyā de jiàoshēng hěn xiǎng.The crow's call is very loud.
Example conversation
浩然 and 佳怡 are walking in a park.
- 浩然 Haoran你看，那边有一只乌鸦。Nǐ kàn, nà biān yǒu yì zhī wūyā.Look, there is a crow over there.
- 佳怡 Jiayi它正在飞向那棵树。Tā zhèngzài fēi xiàng nà kē shù.It is flying towards that tree.
- 浩然 Haoran它的羽毛看起来很黑。Tā de yǔmáo kàn qǐlái hěn hēi.Its feathers look very black.
- 佳怡 Jiayi是的，乌鸦总是黑色的。Shì de, wūyā zǒng shì hēisè de.Yes, crows are always black.
