1. General names
Chinese: The Chinese term for 'crane' is 鹤 hè. Cranes are also known as 仙鹤 xiān-hè 'fairy cranes' (often used specifically for the Manchurian or Red-crowned crane, Grus japonensis). Chinese has a rich and sometimes confusing variety of names for the cranes -- see alternative names in the table of species below. |
Japanese: The Japanese word for 'crane' is ツル tsuru, written with the Chinese character 鶴. Tsuru becomes -zuru when combined with other words. |
Vietnamese: The Vietnamese word for 'crane' is Sếu. Traditionally the crane is also known by the Chinese word hạc (鶴) which ornithologists have assigned to the storks A northern dialect name for the crane is cà kếu. |
2. Species names
ABOUT THIS TABLE (Hover cursor to see) 
SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH |
CHINESE |
JAPANESE |
VIETNAMESE |
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| Latin | English | Chinese (Mainland) | Chinese (Taiwan) | Other Ch | Japanese | Other J | Vietnamese | Other V |
| Grus leucogeranus | Siberian crane Great white crane Siberian white crane (Cheng) |
白鹤 bái-hè 'white crane' (incl. Viney) |
黑袖鹤 hēi-xiù hè 'black-sleeved crane' 西伯利亚白鹤 Xībólìyà bái-hè 'Siberian white crane' |
ソデグロヅル (袖黒鶴) sode-guro-zuru 'black-sleeved crane' |
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| Grus antigone | Sarus crane | 赤颈鹤 chì-jǐng hè 'red-necked crane' |
大鹤 dà hè 'large crane' 印度鹤 Yìndù hè 'Indian crane' |
オオヅル (大鶴) ō-zuru 'large crane' |
Sếu cổ trụi 'bare-necked crane' or Sếu đầu đỏ 'red-headed crane' |
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Grus vipio |
White-naped crane (Cheng) Japanese white-naped crane White-necked crane |
白枕鹤 bái-zhěn hè 'white-naped crane' (incl. Viney) |
白枕鶴 bái-zhěn hè 'white-naped crane' |
红面鹤 hóng-miàn hè 'red-faced crane' |
マナヅル (真鶴) mana-zuru 'true crane' |
タズ (田鶴) tazu 'paddy crane' (poetic) |
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| Grus canadensis | Sandhill crane | 沙丘鹤 shā-qiū hè 'sand hill crane' |
加拿大鹤 Jiānádà hè 'Canadian crane' |
カナダヅル (カナダ鶴) Kanada-zuru 'Canadian crane' |
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| Grus virgo/ Anthropoides virgo |
Demoiselle crane | 蓑羽鹤 suō yǔ hè 'raincoat feather crane' |
闺秀鹤 guī-xiù hè 'young lady (=demoiselle) crane' |
アネハヅル (姉羽鶴) ane-ha-zuru 'big-sister feather crane' |
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| Grus grus | Common crane | 灰鹤 huī-hè 'grey crane' (incl. Viney) |
灰鶴 huī-hè 'grey crane' |
玄鹤 xuán-hè 'dark crane' 仓庚 or 苍庚 cānggēng 'canggeng' (also used for oriole) 鸧鸹 cāng-guā cang + ' crow' 番薯鹤 fānshǔ hè 'sweet potato crane' |
クロヅル (黒鶴) kuro-zuru 'black crane' |
ネズミヅル (鼠鶴) nezumi-zuru 'mouse crane' |
Sếu cổ trắng 'white-necked crane' |
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| Grus monacha |
Hooded crane | 白头鹤 bái-tóu hè 'white-headed crane' (incl. Viney) |
白頭鶴 bái-tóu hè 'white-headed crane' |
青庄鹤 qīng zhuāng hè 'blue field (=blue heron) crane' 锅鹤 guō hè 'pot crane' 玄鹤 xuán-hè 'dark crane' |
ナベヅル (鍋鶴) nabe-zuru 'pot crane' |
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| Grus nigricollis | Black-necked crane | 黑颈鹤 hēi-jǐng hè 'black-necked crane' |
黑头鹤 hēi-tóu hè 'black-headed crane' 黑尾鹤 hēi-wěi hè 'black-tailed crane' 西藏鹤 Xīzàng hè 'Tibetan crane' |
オグロヅル (尾黒鶴) o-guro zuru 'black-tailed crane' |
Sếu xám 'grey crane' |
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| Grus japonensis |
Red-crowned crane (Cheng) Manchurian crane Japanese crane |
丹顶鹤 dān-dǐng hè 'red-capped crane' (incl. Viney) |
丹頂鶴 dān-dǐng hè 'red-capped crane' |
仙鹤 xiān-hè 'fairy crane' |
タンチョウ (丹頂) tanchō 'red-cap' |
タンチョウヅル (丹頂鶴) tanchō-zuru 'red-capped crane' |
Sếu Nhật Bản 'Japanese crane' |
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3. Notes
For the distribution of Gruidae in East Asia, see Tzung-Su Ding's Distribution of GRUIFORMES in East Asia. |
For the most part, the official crane names in CJV do not run in parallel. The Vietnamese names, in particular, are completely unrelated to the Chinese and Japanese names. (Rather exceptionally, however, the official Taiwanese names are exactly the same as the Mainland names.) |
Japanese: Older poetic names for the crane are:
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4. Cultural Notes
1. The Chinese and Japanese names relating to 'fairy cranes' refer to the Chinese legend that the crane carries an immortal or sage ('fairy') on its back when he visits the mortal world. |
2. The crane is a symbol of longevity in Oriental 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. |
3. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties in China, the crane was depicted in 'Mandarin Squares' (known as 补子 bǔzi) attached to official uniforms of high-ranking bureaucrats. The Red-crowned crane (仙鹤) was the insignia of rank for Grade One, the highest rank of civilian official. |
4. To describe exteme slimness, Vietnamese uses the expression Gầy như hạc 'slim as a crane'. |
