Chinese word

蝙蝠

Pronunciation

Pinyinbiān fú

Meaning

  • nounbat

Example

蝙蝠会飞。biān fú huì fēi

Bats can fly.

Illustration for 蝙蝠 (bat)

More examples

晚上，蝙蝠从树洞里飞出来。wǎn shàng biān fú cóng shù dòng lǐ fēi chū lái

At night, a bat flies out of a tree hollow.

Core concept

A warm-blooded flying animal active after dark, with wings made from skin between its long fingers.

Common phrases

  • 一只蝙蝠yì zhī biān fú

    a bat

  • 蝙蝠洞biān fú dòng

    bat cave

Definition in Chinese

一种有翅膀、能飞行的哺乳动物，通常在夜间活动。yì zhǒng yǒu chì bǎng néng fēi xíng de bú rǔ dòng wù tōng cháng zài yè jiān huó dòng

Word origin

蝙蝠 (biānfú, "bat") combines 蝙 (biān, "bat") + 蝠 (fú, "bat"), two sound-and-meaning characters whose creature-related parts mark an animal and whose other parts help supply the sounds.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may expect the sports sense of "bat", but Chinese uses this word only for the flying animal, so sports contexts need a different Chinese noun.

Word lists with this word