鹿

• Pinyin: lù
• Hanzi breakdown: 鹿 — pictograph of a deer with antlers and four legs

Meaning

Deer. A graceful, hoofed mammal widely associated in Chinese culture with longevity, good fortune, and high official rank.

Deeply embedded in Chinese cultural symbolism: 鹿 is a homophone-adjacent symbol of prosperity and official salary (禄, lù). The idiom 逐鹿中原 (to chase the deer in the Central Plains) means to compete for political power. Deer antlers (鹿茸) are prized in traditional Chinese medicine.

Examples

1. 长白山自然保护区内生活着数百头野生梅花鹿，近年来种群数量持续恢复。 Hundreds of wild sika deer live in the Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve, and their numbers have continued to recover in recent years.
2. 古代宫廷绘画中常以鹿作为吉祥图腾，寓意官运亨通、福禄双全。 In ancient court paintings, deer were often used as auspicious symbols, implying a smooth official career and abundant blessings.
3. 那部历史剧以群雄逐鹿的乱世为背景，展现了各路势力争夺天下的波澜壮阔。 Set against an era of chaos in which rival powers fought for dominance, the historical drama portrays the sweeping struggle among competing forces.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, culture, idiom, history

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这幅清代宫廷画中，九只梅花鹿于松林间悠然漫步，象征着九禄临门、长寿安康。(In this Qing dynasty court painting, nine sika deer stroll leisurely among pine trees, symbolising abundant prosperity and longevity.)
• 战国时期，诸侯列国群雄逐鹿，以图一统天下，留下了无数可歌可泣的历史篇章。(During the Warring States period, the feudal lords competed fiercely for supremacy, leaving behind countless stirring chapters of history.)

Don't Say

• 将鹿与麋鹿或驯鹿混用而不加区分 — 鹿 is the general word for deer; 麋鹿 is the David's deer, and 驯鹿 is the reindeer; in precise contexts, use the specific term

Origin & History

鹿 — a pictograph representing a deer with antlers; one of the earliest characters in Chinese script

Cultural Context

Era: Classical to modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal