zōu

鲰

Character · Noun · AdjectiveTraditional鯫

small fish; tiny; minnow

Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma

Meanings

2 senses · 4 examples
1.

noun

small fish; fry; minnow

literary

Literary term for small fish, often found in classical texts and used to describe insignificant or humble things.

Zhǎo沼
chí池
zhōng中
yǒu有
zōu鲰
yú鱼
shù数
shí十
tóu头
 。

There were dozens of small fish in the pond.

Wǎng网
luó罗
tiān天
xià下
zōu鲰
shēng生
 ，
jù聚
yú于
tài太
xué学
 。

Gathering all the humble scholars from across the land into the Imperial Academy.

2.

adjective

tiny; small; minute; insignificant

literary

Used in classical Chinese to describe smallness or insignificance, often in self-deprecating compound words like 鲰生 (zōu shēng, meaning 'small person' or 'humble scholar').

Zōu鲰
shēng生
zhī之
tú徒
 ，
bù不
zú足
yǔ与
móu谋
 。

Such insignificant people are not worth consulting with.

Zōu鲰
cái材
xiǎo小
qì器
 ，
nán难
kān堪
dà大
rèn任
 。

With such tiny talents and small capabilities, one cannot bear great responsibilities.