蝠鱝 / 蝠鲼
fúfèn
The English phrase manta ray is translated into Mandarin as 蝠鱝 / 蝠鲼 (fúfèn). If unsure, use 蝠鱝 / 蝠鲼. Wiktionary also lists 鬼蝠魟 / 鬼蝠𫚉 (guǐfúhóng).
Meaning: any of several very large pelagic rays (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 蝠鱝 / 蝠鲼 | fúfèn |
| 鬼蝠魟 / 鬼蝠𫚉 | guǐfúhóng |
The term is used to refer to any of several very large pelagic rays.
What does it mean word for word?
The alternative term 鬼蝠魟 / 鬼蝠𫚉 literally translates to 'ghost manta ray', where 鬼 means ghost/demon, 蝠 refers to a bat or ray and 魟 refers to a type of ray.
Which one should you use?
蝠鱝 / 蝠鲼 is the standard biological name for a manta ray, while 鬼蝠魟 / 鬼蝠𫚉 is a common alternative name often used in more colloquial or descriptive contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
fúfèn
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, the word for bat 蝠 is a homophone for 'blessing' or 'happiness' 福, making it a common symbol of good luck in art.
- The character 蝠 used in the name refers to a 'bat' rather than a fish, reflecting an ancient visual association between the shape of a bat and the fins of a ray.
- While 蝠鱝 is the formal term, the colloquial 鬼蝠魟 is more common in Taiwanese Mandarin and among divers in the region.
Example sentences for Mandarin are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “manta ray” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
