Definition
旱鸭子 literally means 'dry-land duck', but in everyday Chinese it's a vivid metaphor for someone who can't swim — a 'non-swimmer'. The image is that ducks are supposed to live on water, so a duck raised on dry land is one that never learns to swim. It's an informal, slightly humorous term you can use for yourself or others.
n.
non-swimmer (informal metaphor, literally 'dry-land duck')
Examples
- 旱鸭子，。Wǒ shì hàn yā zǐ, yí dào yóuyǒngchí jiù hàipà.I'm a non-swimmer — I get scared as soon as I get to the pool.
- 旱鸭子，。Tā suīrán shì ge hàn yā zǐ, dàn hěn xǐhuan zài hǎibiān sànbù.Although she can't swim, she really enjoys walking by the seaside.
- ，旱鸭子，。Bié xiào wǒ le, wǒ jiùshì zhǐ hàn yā zǐ, cónglái xué bu huì yóuyǒng.Don't laugh at me — I'm just a non-swimmer who never learned.
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