一角鲸

一角鯨
yìjiǎojīng
noun

Measure Word

Meanings

  1. 1 narwhal (Monodon monoceros)
  2. 2 Arctic toothed whale with a single long tusk

Examples

HSK 6
Yìjiǎojīng shēnghuó zài Běijí bīnglěng de hǎiyù.
Narwhals live in the cold waters of the Arctic.
HSK 7-9
Xióngxìng yìjiǎojīng de cháng yá shíjìshàng shì yì kē tūchū de quǎnchǐ.
The long tusk of the male narwhal is actually a protruding canine tooth.

Tips

memory
Parse as 一 (one) + 角 (horn) + 鲸 (whale), 'one-horned whale', a direct translation of the Latin genus name Monoceros ('single horn'). The 'horn' is actually a spiral left canine tooth that can grow nearly three meters.
culture
Medieval European traders sold narwhal tusks as genuine unicorn horns; the creatures have since been dubbed 'unicorns of the sea'. The Chinese name preserves the same 'single-horn' image.

Stroke Order

一 yī
角 jiǎo
鲸 jīng