鲼 (fèn) · manta ray; devil ray

Meanings

HSK 7-9

一条巨大的蝠鲼从潜水员面前缓缓游过。

Yì tiáo jùdà de fú fèn cóng qiánshuǐyuán miànqián huǎnhuǎn yóuguò.

A huge manta ray glided slowly past in front of the divers.

history

鲼 is not used on its own. It appears in fish names for large rays, chiefly 蝠鲼 (manta / devil ray). The phonetic is 贲.

radical

鱼 yú

fish

鱼 is the fish radical, marking 鲼 as a cartilaginous fish, the ray.

phonetic

贲 bēn

energetic; to rush

贲 supplies the sound base, drifted to fèn. The same phonetic appears in 喷 (to spray) and 愤 (indignant).

鲼 fèn