燕子

• Pinyin: yàn zi
• Hanzi breakdown: 燕 = pictograph of a swallow (the character depicts wings, body, and forked tail); 子 = child/small one (animal diminutive suffix)

Meaning

Swallow (the bird). A small migratory bird (family Hirundinidae) with a forked tail and graceful flight, deeply associated in Chinese culture with the arrival of spring.

One of the most culturally resonant birds in Chinese poetry and folklore. The return of swallows in spring symbolises renewal and reunion. Common in classical verse: 燕子归来 (the swallows have returned). Swallows nesting under the eaves of a house are considered a lucky omen. Also a common given name for women.

Examples

1. 每年三月，成群的燕子从南方飞回故乡的屋檐下，衔泥筑巢，用婉转的鸣声宣告春天的正式到来。 Every March, flocks of swallows fly back from the south to the eaves of their old homes, carrying mud to build nests and announcing spring’s official arrival with their lilting calls.
2. 王安石的诗句与晏殊词中的'无可奈何花落去，似曾相识燕归来'，都将燕子作为季节更迭与时光流逝的象征。 Both Wang Anshi’s poetry and Yan Shu’s line “Helplessly the flowers fall; as if familiar, the swallows return” use swallows as a symbol of the changing seasons and the passing of time.
3. 城市化进程加快，大量老旧建筑被拆除，依附于传统民居屋檐筑巢的燕子失去了栖息地，种群数量在许多地区出现了明显的下降趋势。 As urbanization accelerates and old buildings are torn down, swallows that once nested under the eaves of traditional homes lose their habitat, and their numbers have clearly declined in many areas.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, poetry, culture, everyday speech

Tone: warm

Do Say

• 老宅的屋檐下每年都有燕子筑巢，祖父说这是吉祥的征兆，一家人总会小心翼翼地避开那片区域，不去惊扰它们。(Swallows nest under the eaves of the old house every year; grandfather said this was a lucky sign, and the whole family would always carefully avoid that area so as not to disturb them.)
• 在中国传统诗词中，燕子既是春归的使者，也是离愁别绪的载体，那一抹剪影在无数文人的笔下承载了对故土和旧日时光的深沉眷恋。(In traditional Chinese poetry, the swallow is both a herald of spring's return and a vessel for the sorrow of parting; that silhouette in flight has carried the deep nostalgia for home and bygone days in the writing of countless scholars.)

Don't Say

• 那只燕子飞得很快速 — 快速 is more appropriate for mechanical or transport speed; for a bird in graceful, swift flight say 那只燕子飞得很迅捷 or 那只燕子身姿轻盈，飞速极快

Origin & History

燕 = the pictograph of a swallow in flight (head, wings, body, and forked tail); 子 = child/small one (diminutive suffix for animals)

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional to Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal