大雁

• Pinyin: dà yàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 大 = big; 雁 = 厂 (cliff) + 人 (person) + 隹 (short-tailed bird)

Meaning

Wild goose; swan goose. A large migratory bird known for flying in V-formation.

In Chinese culture, wild geese are symbols of fidelity, communication, and autumn. They appear frequently in classical poetry as metaphors for letters (because they were believed to carry messages) or longing for distant loved ones.

Examples

1. 秋天来了，一群大雁排成人字形往南飞。 Autumn has arrived, and a flock of wild geese are flying south in a V-formation.
2. 古人常用大雁传书来比喻远方的书信。 The ancients often used the wild goose carrying letters as a metaphor for correspondence from afar.
3. 这片湿地是大雁迁徙途中的重要栖息地。 This wetland is an important resting spot for wild geese during their migration.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, literature, poetry

Tone: lyrical

Do Say

• 大雁南飞是秋天的象征。(Wild geese flying south is a symbol of autumn.)
• 你看，天上有大雁！(Look, there are wild geese in the sky!)

Don't Say

• 我在公园里喂大雁 (Park geese are usually 鹅 — 大雁 are wild and migratory)

Origin & History

Compound of 大 (big) + 雁 (wild goose). 雁 depicts a goose with feathers (厂 + 人 + 隹).

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal