How to Write 鷈 (tī) — Meaning “Grebe”

Imagine a younger brother (弟) turning into a bird (鳥) and diving into water like a grebe. The grebe is a diving bird, so picture your little brother splashing into a lake and coming up with a fish, helping you connect the shape and meaning.

Pay attention to the balance: the left radical 鳥 is wide and has many strokes, while the right part 弟 is narrower. A common mistake is making the 弟 part too large—it should sit snugly next to the bird radical. The total stroke count is 21, so write slowly to avoid crowding.

Common expressions include 鷈鸟 (tī niǎo, grebe bird), 小鷈 (xiǎo tī, grebe), and 鷈蛋 (tī dàn, grebe egg). These are used in scientific or nature contexts, such as describing wetland birds or birdwatching, but are very rare in everyday conversation.

The character 鷈 is extremely rare and appears mostly in scientific literature about birds or in classical poetry describing waterfowl. It is not used in daily speech or writing, so learners will likely only encounter it in specialized texts about birds like the grebe family.

Common words containing 鷈 include: 鷈鸟 (tī niǎo) — Grebe bird; 小鷈 (xiǎo tī) — grebe; 鷈蛋 (tī dàn) — Grebe egg.