How to Write 鸸 (ér) — Meaning “emu”

Imagine the right part 而 as a bird's two long legs or its curved neck, and the left part 鸟 reminds you it is a bird. Then say 'ér' out loud to match the sound of 'emu' – the word starts with 'e' just like the pinyin.

Write the left radical 鸟 first, then the right part 而. Pay attention to the stroke order within 鸟: the top dot, then the left stroke, then the hook, and so on. A common mistake is making the right part 而 too wide – keep it balanced with the bird radical.

鸸 (ér) has the bird radical 鸟 on the left and 而 on the right, meaning 'emu.' 袅 (niǎo) has a different structure (top 鸟, bottom 衣) and means 'slender' or 'wispy.' 鸥 (ōu) also has 鸟 on the left but the right part is 区 – it means 'gull.' The right side shapes are the key visual difference.

鸸 appears almost exclusively in the compound word 鸸鹋 (ér miáo), meaning 'emu.' You may also see it in 鸸鹋蛋 (emu egg) or 鸸鹋油 (emu oil), which are sold as specialty products. The character is rare in daily conversation and mainly used in zoological or commercial contexts.

Common words containing 鸸 include: 鸸鹋 (ér miáo) — emu; 鸸鹋蛋 (ér miáo dàn) — emu egg; 鸸鹋油 (ér miáo yóu) — emu oil.