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猫头鹰

貓頭鷹
māotóuyīng
noun #9,231

Measure Word

一只猫头鹰 zhī

Meanings

  1. 1 owl

Characters

猫
māo
cat
头
tóu
head
鹰
yīng
eagle; hawk
Literally 'cat-head-eagle' — named for the owl's cat-like face on a bird of prey's body.

Examples

猫头鹰是夜行动物。
Māotóuyīng shì yèxíng dòngwù.
Owls are nocturnal animals.
我昨晚听到猫头鹰叫了。
Wǒ zuówǎn tīngdào māotóuyīng jiào le.
I heard an owl hooting last night.

Tips

memory
猫头鹰 literally means 'cat-headed eagle' — owls have round, flat faces like a cat and hunt like eagles. A perfect visual mnemonic.
culture
Unlike in the West where owls symbolize wisdom, in traditional Chinese culture owls were often considered bad omens associated with death.

In Pop Culture

猫头鹰王国 Māotóuyīng Wángguó
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
animated film about warrior owls

Stroke Order

猫 māo
头 tóu
鹰 yīng