雏 (chú) · chick, young bird, fledgling

Measure Word

一只雏鸟 zhī

Meanings

1 chick
2 young bird
3 fledgling
4 immature; nascent

Characters

雏

chú

chick; young bird; fledgling

Examples

HSK 7-9

巢里有几只嗷嗷待哺的雏。

Cháo lǐ yǒu jǐ zhī áo'áo-dàibǔ de chú.

In the nest were several chicks crying to be fed.

HSK 7-9

他还是个雏，需要更多历练。

Tā hái shì gè chú, xūyào gèng duō lìliàn.

He is still a fledgling and needs more experience.

Tips

usage

雏 is a bound form appearing in compounds like 雏鸟 (fledgling), 雏鸡 (chick), and 雏形 (embryonic form / prototype). Used alone it means a young bird or, figuratively, an inexperienced person.

Components

radical

隹 zhuī

short-tailed bird

Right-side short-tailed-bird radical, depicting a small bird in profile. Anchors 雏 as a young bird - chick, nestling, fledgling. From the literal sense came the metaphor 雏形 (rudimentary form) and 雏儿 (rookie). Same bird family: 雀 (sparrow), 雁 (wild goose), 集 (flock gathered on a tree).

phonetic

刍 chú

hay; to cut grass (here phonetic)

Left side 刍 supplies the sound - exact chú. Originally 刍 depicted a hand gathering grass for fodder, with a faint semantic flavour that fits: chicks and fledglings are the young that need to be fed. Same phonetic family includes 趋 (to chase after).