鵝 / 鹅
é
The English word "goose" translates to Chinese as 鵝 / 鹅 (é) or 雁.
Meaning: a grazing waterfowl of the family Anatidae (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 鵝 / 鹅 | é |
| 雁 | yàn |
In Chinese, the word for goose depends on whether you are referring to a domesticated bird or a wild one.
Which one should you use?
The term 鵝 / 鹅 (é) specifically refers to the domesticated goose. In contrast, 雁 (yàn) is used for wild geese, which are often associated with migratory patterns in literature. A very common way to refer to wild geese in both spoken and written Chinese is 大雁 (dàyàn).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 鹅 is é.
When do people say it?
A famous children's rhyme in China starts with the lines 鹅鹅鹅, 曲项向天歌, which translates to "Goose, goose, goose, with a slender neck looking up to the sky, singing."
Did you know?
- There is a theoretical relationship between the Proto-Indo-European word *ǵʰh₂éns and the Chinese words for goose.
- In ancient China, the wild goose 雁 was used as a metaphor for a letter or a messenger because they migrate across long distances to deliver 'news' of the changing seasons.
- In Chinese culture, the 'wild goose formation' 雁陣 is used as a term to describe any highly disciplined or organized military deployment.
Examples in context
- 请给我一份烤 鹅 ，谢谢。Please give me a portion of roasted goose, thank you.
- 看，那里有只漂亮的 鹅 。Look, there's a beautiful goose over there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goose” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 雁, 鵝, CC BY-SA 4.0.
