鸚鵡 / 鹦鹉
yīngwǔ
In Chinese, 'parrot' is translated as 鸚鵡 / 鹦鹉 (yīngwǔ). Wiktionary also lists 能言鳥 / 能言鸟 (néngyánniǎo) and 鸚哥 / 鹦哥 (yīnggē).
Meaning: kind of bird (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 鸚鵡 / 鹦鹉 | yīngwǔ |
| 能言鳥 / 能言鸟 | néngyánniǎo |
| 鸚哥 / 鹦哥 | yīnggē |
| 鸚形目 / 鹦形目 | yīngxíngmù |
The primary way to refer to the kind of bird is 鸚鵡 / 鹦鹉. The idiom 鸚鵡學舌 / 鹦鹉学舌 is used to describe someone who repeats words or ideas mechanically without understanding them.
Which one should you use?
鸚鵡 / 鹦鹉 is the standard term for the bird. 能言鳥 / 能言鸟 and 鸚哥 / 鹦哥 are other forms, while 鸚形目 / 鹦形目 is the formal biological term for the order of birds that includes parrots.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, the term 鸚鵡 is used to refer to a parrot.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
yīngwǔ
Did you know?
- The word 鸚鵡 is so ancient that it appears in the 'Book of Rites', one of the foundational Confucian classics of ancient Chinese literature.
- In traditional Chinese medicine, some parts of the 鸚鵡 were historically believed to have medicinal properties, though this is no longer a common practice.
- The term 鸚哥 / 鹦哥 is often used as a nickname or a more colloquial, affectionate way to refer to a parrot in certain regional dialects.
Examples in context
- 我朋友养了一只小鹦鹉。My friend owns a little parrot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “parrot” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 鸚鵡, CC BY-SA 4.0.
