传书鸽 (chuánshūgē): carrier pigeon

Measure Word

一只传书鸽 zhī

Meanings

1 carrier pigeon
2 messenger pigeon

Characters

Examples

古代军队常用传书鸽传递消息。

Gǔdài jūnduì cháng yòng chuánshūgē chuándì xiāoxi.

Ancient armies often used carrier pigeons to relay messages.

在没有电话的年代，传书鸽是重要的通讯工具。

Zài méiyǒu diànhuà de niándài, chuánshūgē shì zhòngyào de tōngxùn gōngjù.

In the era before telephones, carrier pigeons were an important communication tool.

Tips

memory

Read it literally: 传 (pass) + 书 (letter) + 鸽 (pigeon) — a 'letter-passing pigeon'. The image does the work.

Stroke Order

传 chuán

书 shū

鸽 gē

Related Words

信鸽 xìngē #22,508

carrier pigeon / homing pigeon / messenger pigeon

传送 chuánsòng #4,405

to transmit / to convey / to teleport

传说 chuánshuō HSK 3 #2,852

legend / folk tale / it is said

戴笠鸽 dàilìgē

crested pigeon breed ("hat-wearing pigeon")

旅鸽 lǚgē

passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) / extinct North American pigeon species

食用鸽 shíyònggē

meat pigeon / pigeon raised for food / squab

岩鸽 yángē

hill pigeon (Columba rupestris) / rock pigeon (in older usage)

中国点子鸽 zhōngguódiǎnzǐgē

Chinese Spot pigeon; a traditional Chinese ornamental pigeon breed with a distinctive colored spot on the forehead

传染 chuánrǎn HSK 7 #4,982

to infect; to be contagious / to spread (a disease)

传播 chuánbō HSK 3 #4,753

to spread / to disseminate / to propagate