How to Write 鹆 (yù) — Meaning “Myna bird”

Imagine a myna bird living in a valley (谷) and it is a type of bird (鸟). The visual of a bird in a valley helps connect the shape to the meaning. This mnemonic uses both components to recall the character.

Pay attention to the left side 谷: it has three strokes on top (撇点撇) and a 口 below, then a small 人 shape. The right side 鸟 must be written with a narrow top and wider bottom, and the last stroke is a horizontal line with a hook. A common mistake is making the left side too wide or the right bird stroke order incorrect.

鹆 is a bird name specifically for the myna, while 袅 (niǎo) means slender and delicate, often describing willow branches or smoke, and is not a bird character despite having a similar right side. 鸪 (gū) is part of the word 鹧鸪 (zhègū, partridge) and has 古 on the left instead of 谷. Visually, 鹆 has 谷 on the left, while 袅 has 鸟 as a component inside and 鸪 has 古.

鹆 is rarely used alone; it appears in the word 鸲鹆 (qú yù, crested myna) and 鹆子 (yù zi, myna bird). The phrase 鸲鹆学舌 (qú yù xué shé) means to parrot others' words, comparing people who repeat without understanding to a myna bird. This character is not common in daily speech but appears in literature or zoological contexts.

Common words containing 鹆 include: 鸲鹆 (qú yù) — crested myna; 鹆子 (yù zi) — Myna bird; 鸲鹆学舌 (qú yù xué shé) — to parrot others' words.