The Chinese characters 燕 meaning is swallow.

燕 is a symmetrical pictograph of the swallow flying upwards. Swallows abound in the northern hemisphere and are always a welcome sight in spring. The swallow (燕) is fondly remembered as a bird from the north (北), flying across the waters with a stalk of grass (艹) in its mouth (口).

The Chinese characters 凤 meaning is phoenix.

Originally, the phoenix was represented by picture, its tail. As it flew, it drew all birds to it in friendship. Eventually a new Chinese character was adopted for the phoenix: 鳯 - a pictograph of the bird - relating it to wind in sound and symbol. The simplified character substitutes a friendly hand for the friendly phoenix: 凤.

The Chinese characters 鸽 meaning is dove; pigeon.

合 indicates harmony of many mouths (口), symbols unity and agreement of three lines forming a balanced triangle. 鸽 ideographically refers to the dove or pigeon - the bird (鸟) that docks together in peace, harmony and unity.

The Chinese characters 鸭 meaning is duck.

甲 - meaning armor, protective covering or shell - is the distinguishing phonetic here. The duck is probably the hardiest of birds, with a natural immunity to disease and ability to withstand severe environmental conditions. Hence: 鸭, the well-protected bird (鸟). Nevertheless, the proverb has the last word: “Compare a duck with a goose, and the duck will be unsalable.

The Chinese characters 鸡 meaning is chicken.

The radical 鸟 stands for bird. The phonetic signifies an adult with hand on silk thread - a spinner. Previously, Women prisoners were condemned to spinning without getting any benefit, not unlike the chicken confined to the labor of laying eggs for its owner. A bird (鸟) in hand produces the simplified chicken: 鸡, a really handy bird.

The Chinese characters 集 meaning is assemble; gather; together.

The ancient Chinese character depicted three small birds flocking together atop a tree (木). This eventually contracted to 集: one bird on the tree. gathering of birds may have created the character for “assembly” but, as the saying goes: “A gathering of mosquitoes can create a noise like thunder.”

The Chinese characters 雀 meaning is sparrow.

The sparrow is a short-tailed bird, as compared with 鸟, a long-tailed bird. The sparrow is designated by the ideograph: 雀, literally small bird - a fitting symbol for anything insignificant and unworthy. Hence the proverbial reference to the irrational trouble-shooter. “He uses cannon to shoot a sparrow.”

The Chinese characters 鼠 meaning is mouse.

鼠 refers to rodents in general - from the timid mouse to the aggressive rat. It is a pictograph of the rat, showing its head, whiskers and tail: 鼠. A young rat may know how to gnaw its hole but, warns the proverb: “A rat that gnaws at a cat’s tail invites destruction.”

The Chinese characters 兔 meaning is hare; rabbit.

兔 is a pictograph of the squatting hare or rabbit, with its tail perked up. Noted for its shrewdness in the struggle for survival, the proverbial hare has three holes to its burrow - and it does not eat the grass around it.

The Chinese characters 像 meaning is elephant.

In this Chinese character the phonetic 像 means elephant and also image. Tile radical 亻(human) clarifies its application to human and means image, portrait or resemblance: 像 (Human has been making Images of everything imaginable under and above the sun. So, reasons the proverb: “No image-maker worships the gods; he knows what they are made of.”