How to Write 鲵 (ní) — Meaning “Giant salamander”

Picture a giant salamander that looks like a fish but cries like a baby: the left side 鱼 represents the fish, and the right side 兒 looks a bit like a small child. You can remember 鲵 as "fish child" because the animal's call resembles a baby's cry.

Pay attention to the right side 兒: it has eight strokes, including a 竖弯钩 (vertical hook) at the bottom, and is not just the simple 儿 character. The left radical 鱼 is narrow and taller, while the right part is wider and slightly shorter. A common mistake is writing the right side too small or confusing it with similar components like 见.

鲑 (guī) means salmon and has the right part 圭 (a jade artifact), while 鲒 (jié) is a type of shellfish or fish with the right part 吉 (auspicious). In contrast, 鲵 uses 兒 (child) and uniquely refers to the giant salamander. Visually, the right side of each character is completely different, so focus on the right component to tell them apart.

鲵 appears mainly in scientific or zoological contexts, especially in the word 大鲵 (dà ní) for the Chinese giant salamander. This animal is also called 娃娃鱼 (wáwa yú, baby fish) because its cry sounds like a human infant. Although it was once considered a delicacy, the giant salamander is now a protected species in China.

Common words containing 鲵 include: 大鲵 (dà ní) — Giant salamander; 鲵鱼 (ní yú) — Giant salamander; 小鲵 (xiǎo ní) — salamander.