General
The following is based on analysis of dictionaries and other sources. Comments and corrections welcome. Malaysian names are now being updated. For consistency, Vietnamese bird names (except for ducks and chickens) are preceded by the word Chim meaning 'bird'. Ornithological lists mostly omit this as understood. Hover over Green Lettering to see additional information.
The Vietnamese word for 'crane' is Chim sếu.
Traditionally the Chinese-derived name Chim hạc (鶴, Mandarin Chinese 'crane') was used for the cranes. However, Hạc is now commonly applied to the storks in Vietnamese.
In northern dialects, the cranes are also known as Chim cà kếu.
Cultural
The crane is a symbol of longevity in East Asian culture and is often depicted in traditional paintings and statues. In Vietnamese, tuổi hạc 'crane years' refers to old age, specifically the years over 60.
To describe extreme slimness, Vietnamese uses the expression Gầy như hạc 'slim as a crane' (which may also be interpreted as 'slim as a stork').
Chữ Nôm
The characters used for gruids in the now obsolete Chữ Nôm characters include:
Name | Chữ Nôm Images from the Vietnamese Nôm Preservation Foundation dictionary. (Errors are the sole responsibility of the author of this site) |
Sếu | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Hạc | ![]() |
Species names
GRUINAE | ||||||||
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SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN |
VIETNAMESE |
EAST ASIAN |
S. E. ASIAN |
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Antigone | ||||||||
Latin |
English/French |
Vietnamese |
Other V |
Chinese |
Japanese |
Thai |
Malaysian |
Indonesian |
Antigone antigone Grus antigone ![]() |
Sarus crane Grue antigone |
Grus antigone: Chim Sếu cổ trụi 'bare-necked crane (bird)' (12, 34) or Chim Sếu đầu đỏ 'red-headed crane (bird)' (12, 13, 34) |
Grus antigone: 赤颈鹤 (赤頸鶴) 'red-necked crane' |
オオヅル (大鶴) ō-zuru 'large crane' |
นกกระเรียนไทย nók krà-rian tʰay 'Thai crane (bird)' |
Burung Keria 'crane (bird)' (25, 26) Burung Keria Timur 'eastern crane (bird)' (24) |
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Grus | ||||||||
Latin |
English/French |
Vietnamese |
Other V |
Chinese |
Japanese |
Thai |
Malaysian |
Indonesian |
Grus grus![]() |
Common crane Grue cendrée |
Chim Sếu cổ trắng 'white-necked crane (bird)' (12, 13, 34) |
灰鹤 (灰鶴) 'grey crane' Taiwan: (灰鹤) 灰鶴 'grey crane' |
クロヅル (黒鶴) kuro-zuru 'black crane' |
นกกระเรียนพันธุ์ยุโรป nók krà-rian pʰan yú-rôop 'European species crane (bird)' |
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Grus nigricollis![]() |
Black-necked crane Grue à cou noir |
Chim Sếu xám 'grey crane (bird)' (12, 13, 34) |
Chim Sếu cổ đen 'black-necked crane (bird)' (alt in 34) |
黑颈鹤 (黑頸鶴) 'black-necked crane' |
オグロヅル (尾黒鶴) o-guro zuru 'black-tailed crane' |