<p>This is not so straightforward as in English. Every single Chinese character has it's own meaning, but combined they may form another meaning. Let's break it down one character at a time:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>迎: To face; Come directly at. This is the most important word in your mini-sentence. There are a lot of ways to use 迎, usually combined with another word, typically a noun, such as 面, 風, or 空 as in this case. Let's go over them one by one:</p>
<ol>
<li>迎面: To come directly at us; Coming face-to-face.</li>
<li>迎風: To face the wind; walking towards the wind; walking against the direction of the wind; or, to brave the wind (less common).</li>
<li>迎著 is also used, albeit slightly less common. 迎著 is always followed by a noun. Some examples would be 迎著我們 (coming directly at us), 迎著太陽 (facing the sun), ...etc.</li>
<li>迎向: To face; to come directly at; to withstand; to brave out. Always followed by a word or phrase. Most common usage is 迎向挑戰, meaning &quot;to face the challenge&quot;.</li>
<li>迎+noun: To face (noun); to come directly at (noun); to withstand (noun); to fight (noun). 迎空 is this case.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li><p>空: Sky, emptiness.</p>
</li>
<li><p>飛: Fly; flying; to fly.</p>
</li>
<li><p>來: Come; come towards; come here.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Finally, back to your phrase. 迎空飛來 is basically and technically equivalent to 迎面飛來 in this context. It means that the bird &quot;is flying towards us directly, face-to-face&quot;. Here, &quot;空&quot; is a rather abstract and (sometimes and understandably) confusing and perplexing. It is just a place-holder, so to speak, and only indicates that it is in the sky, not on the ground. However, the character &quot;飛&quot; already doubles as the descriptor in this case, since an object cannot fly if not in the air.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-22T23:41:38.017Z
2024-08-22T23:41:38.017Z
Admirer of the dragon flag
<p>迎，
①接：迎接|迎送|欢迎|辞旧迎新。</p>
<p>②面向着；正对着：迎面|迎头赶上|迎风招展。</p>
<p>迎空飛來：向空飞来</p>
<p>我們在野外散步時，有一隻鳥迎空飛來。<br />
Whilst we were walking, a bird flew up in the air. (A major event worth commenting on??)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-24T08:04:03.470Z
Quote:- "(A major event worth commenting on??) Why not? Here the bird is flying "towards" the speaker, i.e. 迎空飛來 and not 迎空飛去, which is odd as birds usually fly away from approaching humans or animals. By "birds" I mean those with feathers.
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-24T11:51:24.350Z
Sorry, must disagree: 向空飞来： to (the) air flew from: the bird flew from where it was up into the air. There is no relation to the standpoint of the speaker, 来，from indicates the position of the bird when it starts, namely, not in the air! Big event, a bird that flies!
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-24T06:34:55.293Z
2024-08-24T06:34:55.293Z
Pedroski
<p>迎 - 面对着(facing)</p>
<p>迎空 is similar to 迎面 - head on; direct in one's face (when facing the incoming item).</p>
<p>迎空飛來 - something flying from the sky towards the person (who is facing the flying item/sky).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-22T21:29:01.690Z
2024-08-22T23:10:53.367Z
2024-08-22T23:10:53.367Z
r13
<p>我們在野外散步時，有一隻鳥<strong>迎空飛來</strong>。</p>
<p>The general meaning of this sentence is whilst we were walking in the outdoors, a bird flew towards us.</p>
<p>My question is 迎 means &quot;to face&quot; or &quot;to move towards&quot;. So 迎空飛來 then becomes &quot;facing the sky, fly towards us&quot;. Which makes no sense to me. If I'm standing at a fixed point, is the bird's position during 迎空 mean it is facing me? I'm very confused about this word. Thanks for the help.</p>

<meaning>
The definition of 迎空飛來 as well as its position relative to the narrator
# The definition of 迎空飛來 as well as its position relative to the narrator

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-08-22)

我們在野外散步時，有一隻鳥**迎空飛來**。

The general meaning of this sentence is whilst we were walking in the outdoors, a bird flew towards us.

My question is 迎 means "to face" or "to move towards". So 迎空飛來 then becomes "facing the sky, fly towards us". Which makes no sense to me. If I'm standing at a fixed point, is the bird's position during 迎空 mean it is facing me? I'm very confused about this word. Thanks for the help.

**Tags:** meaning


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-08-22. Score: 2

This is not so straightforward as in English. Every single Chinese character has it's own meaning, but combined they may form another meaning. Let's break it down one character at a time:

* 迎: To face; Come directly at. This is the most important word in your mini-sentence. There are a lot of ways to use 迎, usually combined with another word, typically a noun, such as 面, 風, or 空 as in this case. Let's go over them one by one:

  1. 迎面: To come directly at us; Coming face-to-face.
  2. 迎風: To face the wind; walking towards the wind; walking against the direction of the wind; or, to brave the wind (less common).
  3. 迎著 is also used, albeit slightly less common. 迎著 is always followed by a noun. Some examples would be 迎著我們 (coming directly at us), 迎著太陽 (facing the sun), ...etc.
  4. 迎向: To face; to come directly at; to withstand; to brave out. Always followed by a word or phrase. Most common usage is 迎向挑戰, meaning "to face the challenge".
  5. 迎+noun: To face (noun); to come directly at (noun); to withstand (noun); to fight (noun). 迎空 is this case.
* 空: Sky, emptiness.
* 飛: Fly; flying; to fly.
* 來: Come; come towards; come here.

Finally, back to your phrase. 迎空飛來 is basically and technically equivalent to 迎面飛來 in this context. It means that the bird "is flying towards us directly, face-to-face". Here, "空" is a rather abstract and (sometimes and understandably) confusing and perplexing. It is just a place-holder, so to speak, and only indicates that it is in the sky, not on the ground. However, the character "飛" already doubles as the descriptor in this case, since an object cannot fly if not in the air.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2024-08-24. Score: 0

迎，
①接：迎接|迎送|欢迎|辞旧迎新。

②面向着；正对着：迎面|迎头赶上|迎风招展。

迎空飛來：向空飞来

我們在野外散步時，有一隻鳥迎空飛來。  
Whilst we were walking, a bird flew up in the air. (A major event worth commenting on??)

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Quote:- "(A major event worth commenting on??) Why not? Here the bird is flying "towards" the speaker, i.e. 迎空飛來 and not 迎空飛去, which is odd as birds usually fly away from approaching humans or animals. By "birds" I mean those with feathers.  
> **username_2**: Sorry, must disagree: 向空飞来： to (the) air flew from: the bird flew from where it was up into the air. There is no relation to the standpoint of the speaker, 来，from indicates the position of the bird when it starts, namely, not in the air! Big event, a bird that flies!  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2024-08-22. Score: 0

迎 - 面对着(facing)

迎空 is similar to 迎面 - head on; direct in one's face (when facing the incoming item).

迎空飛來 - something flying from the sky towards the person (who is facing the flying item/sky).


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