# 鯉魚
## Chinese
### Etymology

See the entry 雙鯉魚 for the figurative senses.

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): lǐyú
       (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧˇ ㄩˊ
    (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): ni$^3$ yu$^2$
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): lei$^5$ jyu$^4$ / lei$^5$ jyu$^{4-2}$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): li$^4$ ngui$^3$
* Eastern Min (BUC): lī-ngṳ̀
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): lí-hî / lí-hû / lí-hîr / lē-hî / lě-hîr
    (Teochew, Peng'im): li$^2$ he$^2$ / li$^2$ hu$^2$
* Wu (Northern, Wugniu): $^6$li-ng$_6$ / $^2$li$_6$-ng$_6$
* Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): li$^3$ y$^2$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: lǐyú
*** Zhuyin: ㄌㄧˇ ㄩˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: lǐyú
*** Wade–Giles: li$^3$-yü$^2$
*** Yale: lǐ-yú
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: liiyu
*** Palladius: лиюй (lijuj)
*** Sinological IPA : /li²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵/
** (Chengdu)
*** Sichuanese Pinyin: ni$^3$ yu$^2$
*** Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: liy
*** Sinological IPA : /ni⁵³ y²¹/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: lei$^5$ jyu$^4$ / lei$^5$ jyu$^{4-2}$
*** Yale: léih yùh / léih yú
*** Cantonese Pinyin: lei$^5$ jy$^4$ / lei$^5$ jy$^{4-2}$
*** Guangdong Romanization: léi$^5$ yu$^4$ / léi$^5$ yu$^{4-2}$
*** Sinological IPA : /lei̯¹³ jyː²¹/, /lei̯¹³ jyː²¹⁻³⁵/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: li$^4$ ngui$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /li²¹ ᵑɡui²²/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: lī-ngṳ̀
*** Sinological IPA : /l̃i³³⁻²¹ ŋy⁵³/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Hsinchu, Kaohsiung)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lí-hî
*** Tâi-lô: lí-hî
*** Phofsit Daibuun: ly'hii
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /li⁵³⁻⁴⁴ hi¹³/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /li⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ hi²³/
*** IPA (Xiamen): /li⁵³⁻⁴⁴ hi²⁴/
** (Hokkien: Taipei)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lí-hû
*** Tâi-lô: lí-hû
*** Phofsit Daibuun: ly'huu
*** IPA (Taipei): /li⁵³⁻⁴⁴ hu²⁴/
** (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Kinmen)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lí-hîr
*** Tâi-lô: lí-hîr
*** IPA (Kinmen): /li⁵³⁻²⁴ hɯ²⁴/
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /li⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ hɯ²⁴/
** (Hokkien: Yilan, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Taichung)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lē-hî
*** Tâi-lô: lē-hî
*** Phofsit Daibuun: lexhii
*** IPA (Tainan): /le³³⁻¹¹ hi²⁴/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /le³³⁻²¹ hi²³/
*** IPA (Yilan): /le³³⁻²¹ hi²⁴/
** (Hokkien: Lukang)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lě-hîr
*** Tâi-lô: lě-hîr
*** IPA (Lukang): /le³³⁻²² hɨ²⁴/
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: li$^2$ he$^2$ / li$^2$ hu$^2$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: lí hṳ́ / lí hú
*** Sinological IPA : /li⁵²⁻³⁵ hɯ⁵²/, /li⁵²⁻³⁵ hu⁵²⁻²¹/
* li2 he2 - Chaozhou, Shantou;
* li2 hu2 - Chaoyang, Puning, Huilai.

### Noun

鯉魚
* carp, especially the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) (Classifier: 條／条 m c; 尾 m mn)
* (figuratively) messenger
* (figuratively) letter; correspondence

#### Synonyms

| Variety | Location | Words |
| Classical Chinese | Classical Chinese | 鯉 |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 鯉魚, 鯉 |
| Taxonomic name | Taxonomic name | 鯉 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 鯉魚, 拐子 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 鯉魚 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Chengde | 鯉魚 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Chifeng | 鯉魚 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Hulunbuir (Hailar) | 鯉魚 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Heihe | 鯉魚, 鯉子 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Qiqihar | 鯉魚 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Harbin | 鯉魚, 大鯉魚, 鯉子, 大鯉子 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Jiamusi | 鯉魚 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Baicheng | 鯉魚 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Changchun | 鯉魚 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Tonghua | 鯉魚 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Shenyang | 鯉魚 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Jinzhou | 鯉魚, 鯉子 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 鯉魚 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Tianjin | 拐子 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Tangshan | 鯉魚 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Cangzhou | 鯉魚 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Baoding | 鯉魚 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Shijiazhuang | 鯉魚 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Lijin | 鯉魚 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 鯉魚 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Dalian | 鯉魚 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Dandong | 鯉魚 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Yantai | 鯉魚 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Yantai (Muping) | 鯉魚 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Qingdao | 鯉魚 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Zhucheng | 鯉魚 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Luoyang | 鯉魚 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Lingbao | 鯉魚 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Jining | 鯉魚 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Linfen | 鯉魚 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Shangqiu | 鯉魚 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Yuanyang | 鯉魚 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Zhengzhou | 鯉魚 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xinyang | 鯉魚 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Baihe | 鯉魚 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 鯉魚 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Baoji | 鯉魚 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Tianshui | 鯉魚 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xining | 鯉魚 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xuzhou | 鯉魚, 紅魚 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Fuyang | 鯉魚 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Yinchuan | 鯉魚 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Lanzhou | 鯉魚 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Dunhuang | 鯉魚 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Hami | 鯉魚 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Ürümqi | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Nanchong | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Dazhou | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Hanyuan | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Xichang | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Zigong | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chongqing | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Yichang | 鯉魚, 拐子魚, 拐魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Xiangyang | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Tianmen | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guiyang | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Zunyi | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Bijie | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liping | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Zhaotong | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Dali | 黃殼鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Kunming | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Mengzi | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liuzhou | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Jishou | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Changde | 鯉魚 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Hanzhong | 鯉魚 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nanjing | 鯉魚 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 鯉魚, 龍魚, 花魚 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Lianyungang | 鯉魚, 紅魚 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Lianshui | 鯉魚 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nantong | 花魚 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Anqing | 鯉魚, 鯉拐子 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Wuhu | 鯉魚 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hefei | 鯉魚 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hong'an | 鯉魚 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 鯉魚 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 鯉魚 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou) | 鯉魚 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou) | 鯉魚 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau) | 鯉魚 |
| Cantonese | Dongguan | 鯉魚 |
| Cantonese | Yangjiang | 鯉魚 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 鯉魚 |
| Gan | Lichuan | 鯉魚 |
| Gan | Pingxiang | 鯉魚 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 鯉魚, 鯉仔 |
| Hakka | Yudu | 鯉魚, 鯉子 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 鯉魚, 鯉仔, 鯉嫲 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (Gongguan; N. Sixian) | 鯉仔 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (Zhuolan; N. Sixian) | 鯉魚 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 鯉魚, 鯉仔, 鯉嫲 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Wuluo, Ligang; S. Sixian) | 鯉嫲 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 鯉魚, 鯉仔, 鯉嫲 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 鯉魚, 鯉魚, 鯉嫲 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 鯉魚, 鯉仔, 鯉嫲 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (Zhuolan; Raoping) | 鯉魚 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 鯉魚, 鯉 |
| Hakka | Hong Kong | 鯉嫲 |
| Huizhou | Jixi | 鯉魚 |
| Huizhou | Shexian | 鯉魚 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 鯉魚 |
| Jin | Yangyuan | 鯉魚 |
| Jin | Datong | 鯉魚 |
| Jin | Xinzhou | 鯉魚 |
| Jin | Lüliang (Lishi) | 鯉魚 |
| Jin | Changzhi | 鯉魚 |
| Jin | Linhe | 鯉魚 |
| Jin | Jining | 鯉魚 |
| Jin | Hohhot | 鯉魚 |
| Jin | Erenhot | 鯉魚 |
| Jin | Pingshan | 鯉魚 |
| Jin | Zhangjiakou | 鯉魚 |
| Jin | Handan | 鯉魚 |
| Jin | Linzhou | 鯉魚 |
| Jin | Suide | 鯉魚 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou | 鯉仔 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 鯉魚 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 鯉魚, 鮘魚 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen (Tong'an) | 鮘魚 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 鯉魚 |
| Southern Min | Jinjiang | 鮘魚 |
| Southern Min | Yongchun | 鮘魚 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 鮘仔魚, 鮘仔, 鯉魚 |
| Southern Min | Zhao'an | 鮘仔, 鮘魚 |
| Southern Min | Taipei | 鮘魚 |
| Southern Min | Taipei (Wanhua) | 鮘仔 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Tamsui) | 鮘仔, 鮘魚, 鯉魚 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Sanxia) | 鮘仔 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Pingxi) | 鮘仔, 鯉魚 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung | 鮘仔, 鯉魚, 鮘仔魚 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung (Cijin) | 鮘仔 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang) | 鮘仔 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung (Tianliao) | 鮘仔 |
| Southern Min | Yilan | 鮘魚, 鯉魚, 鮘仔魚 |
| Southern Min | Changhua (Lukang) | 鮘魚, 鯉魚 |
| Southern Min | Changhua (Yongjing) | 鯉魚, 鮘仔 |
| Southern Min | Taichung | 烏鮘仔, 鯉魚, 鮘仔魚 |
| Southern Min | Taichung (Wuqi) | 鮘仔魚 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 鮘仔魚, 鯉魚, 鮘仔 |
| Southern Min | Tainan (Anping) | 鮘仔魚, 鯉魚 |
| Southern Min | Taitung | 鮘仔 |
| Southern Min | Hsinchu | 鯉魚, 鮘仔, 鮘仔魚 |
| Southern Min | Pingtung (Baoli, Checheng) | 鮘仔 |
| Southern Min | Kinmen | 鯉魚 |
| Southern Min | Penghu (Magong) | 鮘魚, 鯉魚 |
| Southern Min | Penghu (Xiyu) | 鮘仔 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 鯉魚 |
| Southern Min | Haikou | 鯉魚 |
| Puxian Min | Putian | 鯉魚 |
| Puxian Min | Putian (Donghai, Chengxiang) | 鯉魚 |
| Puxian Min | Putian (Jiangkou, Hanjiang) | 鯉魚 |
| Puxian Min | Putian (Nanri, Xiuyu) | 鯉魚 |
| Puxian Min | Xianyou | 鯉魚 |
| Puxian Min | Xianyou (Fengting) | 鯉魚 |
| Puxian Min | Xianyou (Youyang) | 鯉魚 |
| Southern Pinghua | Nanning (Tingzi) | 鯉魚 |
| Wu | Shanghai | 鯉魚, 元寶魚 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Chongming) | 鯉魚 |
| Wu | Suzhou | 鯉魚 |
| Wu | Danyang | 鯉魚 |
| Wu | Hangzhou | 鯉魚, 鯉拐兒 |
| Wu | Ningbo | 元寶魚, 鯉魚 |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 鯉魚 |
| Wu | Jinhua | 鯉魚 |
| Xiang | Changsha | 鯉魚, 鯉滑子 |
| Xiang | Loudi | 鯉魚 |
| Xiang | Shuangfeng | 鯉魚 |

#### Derived terms

* 雙鯉魚／双鲤鱼 (shuānglǐyú)
* 鯉魚旗／鲤鱼旗 (lǐyúqí)
* 鯉魚跳龍門／鲤鱼跳龙门
* 鯉魚門／鲤鱼门 (Lǐyúmén)

#### Descendants

* → Thai: หลีฮื้อ (via Min Nan)

### References

* Duffus, William (1883) “carp”, in English-Chinese Vocabulary of the Vernacular or Spoken Language of Swatow, Swatow: English Presbyterian Mission Press, page 36