Fun Fact Tuesday: 🐧 Why Penguins Are the “Tiptoe Geese” of Chinese 🐧

Let’s talk about one of the cutest animals on the planet — the penguin, or as it’s called in Chinese, 企鹅 (qǐ’é). But wait... why does that sound like a goose on its tippy toes?

Let’s break it down!

The Secret Inside 企

The first character, 企 (qǐ), is more than meets the eye. It’s made up of two parts:

👤 人 — meaning person

👣 止 — meaning foot (those three strokes even represent toes!)

(Image courtesy of Chinese Code)

Put them together, and you’ve got a little person standing on their toes — that’s right, the original meaning of 企 is to stand on tiptoe. And when you're on your toes, you’re often... hoping or looking forward to something. That’s how 企 also came to be used in words like:

• 企望 – to hope for

• 企业 – enterprise (aka a business full of hope!)

And finally, we arrive at the real star of the show: 企鹅 – the “tiptoe goose”!

So Why a Tiptoe Goose?

Penguins are adorable birds that stand upright like people and have their knees tucked inside their bodies. That means their movement comes entirely from their little feet — it’s like they’re waddling on tiptoe all the time!

And since their body shape kind of resembles a goose, Chinese gave them a name that captures their quirky charm: 企鹅 (qǐ’é) — the “goose that walks on its toes.”

A Glimpse Into Chinese Wordplay

One of the joys of the Chinese language is how descriptive and visual it can be. Rather than inventing entirely new sounds for foreign animals, Chinese often borrows characteristics and builds imaginative combinations from existing characters.

Other fun examples include:

• 袋鼠 (dàishǔ) — “pouch mouse”, aka kangaroo

• 火鸡 (huǒjī) — “fire chicken”, aka turkey

• 河马 (hémǎ) — “river horse”, aka hippopotamus

  
  

  

  (literal translations of mandarin turkey)

Each name is a mini metaphor, helping language learners and native speakers alike understand new creatures through creative imagery.

Chinese really knows how to make language fun, doesn’t it?

Want more bite-sized language magic like this? Stay tuned every Tuesday for more quirky takes on Chinese words and culture! 🐧