A solitary crane gave a long, clear cry over the river.
Tips
usage
The 戛 reading is the lexical one. Best known in 戛然而止 (to stop abruptly, said of sound). The other reading gā exists only in the city-name transliteration 戛纳 (Cannes).
A single top stroke that caps the character. It is not the number 'one' in meaning here — it is the lid-like top of the old graph showing a weapon striking at a head.
Middle 自 originally pictured a nose/face. Combined with the weapon below, the old image is striking someone on the nose — the source of the 'tap, strike' sense.
