How to Write 鴈 (yàn) — Meaning “Wild goose”

Picture a person (人) standing under a cliff (厂) and pointing to a flock of birds (隹) flying in the sky. This scene reminds you of wild geese migrating, which is the meaning of 鴈. The V-shaped top can also look like a goose's neck.

Pay attention to the proportions: the top part (厂) should not be too wide, and the person (人) inside must be centered and neatly placed. The bottom part (隹) has many strokes; make sure the horizontal lines are evenly spaced and the four diagonal strokes at the bottom are clear.

鴈 specifically means wild goose, while 雉 means pheasant (a different bird). Visually, 鴈 has 厂 and 人 on top, but 雉 has 矢 (arrow) above 隹. 䧹 uses 广 (wide) instead of 厂, and usually refers to an eagle or hawk, not a goose.

鴈 is a less common variant of 雁 (yàn), which is the standard character for wild goose. It appears in literary or classical texts, and in words like 大鴈 (great wild goose). In Chinese culture, wild geese symbolize loyalty and the arrival of autumn, and they often appear in poetry.

Common words containing 鴈 include: 大鴈 (dà yàn) — Great wild goose; 鴈群 (yàn qún) — A flock of wild geese; 鴈肉 (yàn ròu) — Wild goose meat.