大雁
dà yàn · HSK 7
goose
🪿 大 (big) + 雁 (goose) = the big wild goose
The 雁 character alone means goose, and 大 emphasizes its large, wild nature — distinct from the domestic 鹅. Dà yàn sounds a bit like 'da yarn' — a goose honking a long drawn-out yarn of a story.
大 — pictograph of a person with arms outstretched
大 is a pictograph showing a person standing with arms and legs spread wide. The outstretched arms suggest 'big' or 'great', extending from the literal image of a large stance to abstract meanings like important or grand. It is one of the oldest characters, found on oracle bones.