老鷹 / 老鹰
lǎoyīng
The English word 'eagle' is translated into Chinese as 老鷹 / 老鹰 (lǎoyīng). If unsure, use 老鷹 / 老鹰. Wiktionary also lists 鷹 / 鹰 (yīng).
Meaning: any of several large carnivorous birds in the family Accipitridae (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 老鷹 / 老鹰 | lǎoyīng |
| 鷹 / 鹰 | yīng |
The term refers to any of several large carnivorous birds in the family Accipitridae.
Which one should you use?
老鷹 / 老鹰 is the common spoken term, whereas 鷹 / 鹰 is a more formal or concise single-character form often used in literature or compound words. Additionally, 雄鹰 is used to describe an eagle with the added connotation of being a strong or powerful bird.
How do you pronounce it?
lǎoyīng
Did you know?
- The common term 老鷹 literally includes the character 老, which means 'old'.
- In traditional Chinese symbolism, the eagle often represents a high-ranking official or a person of great ambition and vision.
- The word for 'eagle' in Chinese is a cognate with the Tibetan word གླག and the Burmese word လင်းတ.
Examples in context
- 在中国的高山中，你常常可以看到美丽的鹰。In the mountains of China, you can often spot beautiful eagles.
- 雄鹰在飞翔时展现了其壮丽的翅膀。The eagle reveals its splendid wings while soaring.
- 我喜欢看外婆家后院的一只老鹰。I enjoy watching the old eagle in my grandmother's backyard.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eagle” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 鷹, CC BY-SA 4.0.
