翅膀
chìbǎng/ʈ͡ʂʰɻ̩⁵¹ pɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
In Chinese, 'wing' is translated as 翅膀 (chìbǎng). Wiktionary also lists 膀子 (bǎngzi).
Meaning: part of an animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 翅膀 | chìbǎng | /ʈ͡ʂʰɻ̩⁵¹ pɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ʈ͡ʂʰɻ̩⁵¹ pɑ̃ɻ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Erhua, Sinological IPA, 翅膀兒 / 翅膀儿) |
|
| 膀子 | bǎngzi | /pɑŋ²¹⁴ d͡z̥ɹ̩⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /pɑŋ⁵¹ t͡sɹ̩²⁴/ (Mandarin, Dungan, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 翼仔 | si̍t-á | /sit̚²⁴⁻² a⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA) /sit̚¹²¹⁻²¹ a⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA) |
Hokkien |
| 翅股 | si̍t-kó͘ | Hokkien | |
| 舞翼 | bú-si̍t | Hokkien |
The term refers to the part of an animal. The form 翅膀 is commonly used in informal settings as well.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 翅膀 (chìbǎng) is composed of 翅 (wing) and 膀 (arm/limb/side), literally meaning 'wing-limb'.
Which one should you use?
While 翅膀 is the standard term for an animal's wing, 膀子 is more commonly used in colloquial speech to refer to a person's arm or shoulder.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The Dungan language uses цыбон (cɨbon) or бонзы (bonzɨ). In Hokkien, several forms exist: 翼仔 (si̍t-á), 翅股 (si̍t-kó͘) and 舞翼 (bú-si̍t).
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is chìbǎng. The IPA is /ʈʂʰɻ̩⁵¹ pɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/.
Did you know?
- The Dungan language, which is a variety of Chinese spoken in Central Asia, uses цыбон to mean 'wing' but writes it using the Cyrillic alphabet.
- The character 膀 also relates to the bladder in medical terms, creating a surprising homonym or shared root between a wing and an internal organ.
- In Chinese culture, the 翅膀 of a bird is often used as a metaphor for protection or support, such as when a parent 'spreads their wings' to shield a child.
Examples in context
- 这只燕子的翅膀受伤了。This swallow's wing is injured.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe an injured wing using 翅膀.Tatoeba #8744936 by slo_oth, translation #13591474 by LeviHighway
- 我發現了一隻翅膀受了重傷的鳥兒。I found a bird whose wing was severely damaged.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe a bird with a severely damaged wing using 翅膀.Tatoeba #473963 by nickyeow, translation #27011 by CK
- 展翅高飞Spread your wings and soar.
- 那只蝴蝶的翅膀很漂亮。Nà zhǐ húdié de chìbǎng hěn piàoliang.That butterfly's wings are very beautiful.
Example conversation
A boy and a girl are looking at a butterfly in a garden.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你看那只蝴蝶的翅膀！Nǐ kàn nà zhǐ húdié de chìbǎng!Look at that butterfly's wings!
- 俊杰 Junjie真的很漂亮，颜色很鲜艳。Zhēn de hěn piàoliang, yánsè hěn xiānyàn.They are really beautiful, the colors are very bright.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen俊杰，你也是这么觉得吗？Jùnjié, nǐ yěshì zhème juéde ma?Junjie, do you think so too?
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，非常迷人。Shì de, fēicháng mírén.Yes, it is very charming.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wing” translations and entries 翅膀, 膀子, 翼仔, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
