驚弓之鳥
简 惊弓之鸟 · 繁 驚弓之鳥Meanings
- (lit.) a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow (idiom)
- (fig.) sb who frightens easily, due to past experiences
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Mandarin tones
1–1–1–3 · jing1 gong1 zhi1 niao3
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Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.
驚弓之鳥 · find source passages ↗ · 惊弓之鸟 · find source passages ↗
Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
ging1 gung1 zi1 niu5
Cantonese word readings for 驚弓之鳥. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
phrase
- (idiomatic) panic-stricken person; someone who is easily frightened due to past experiences of attack or shock
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
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