鶴

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 鶴, read つる, means a crane, a bird with a long neck and legs.
• Basic usage: It refers to the birds walking in a wetland or cranes depicted on a hanging scroll.
  • 湿原で二羽の鶴がゆっくり歩いていた。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Counting birds with 羽
  • 二羽の鶴 means two cranes, and the quantity expression 二羽 is read にわ.