How to Write 鹤 (hè) — Meaning “crane”

Imagine a tall crane bird with a long neck. The left part 隺 looks like a tall neck with a small head on top, and the right part 鸟 clearly shows it is a bird. Think of "he-crane" to remember the pinyin hè.

Be careful to write the left part 隺 with the correct number of horizontal strokes—there are three short horizontal lines inside. Also keep the left part narrower than the right part 鸟 so the character looks balanced.

鹤 means "crane," while 鹉 (wǔ) means "parrot" and 鹊 (què) means "magpie." Visually, 鹤 has the left component 隺, 鹉 has 武 on the left, and 鹊 has 昔 on the left. All three share the bird radical 鸟 on the right.

鹤 appears in names of crane species such as 仙鹤 (xiān hè, red-crowned crane) and 丹顶鹤 (dān dǐng hè, red-crowned crane). In Chinese culture, the crane is a symbol of longevity and elegance, often seen in traditional paintings and idioms like 鹤立鸡群 (a crane among chickens, meaning outstanding).

Common words containing 鹤 include: 仙鹤 (xiān hè) — Red-crowned crane; 白鹤 (bái hè) — White crane; 丹顶鹤 (dān dǐng hè) — red-crowned crane.