虫
marks a word as naming an insect · Kangxi radical 142
marks a word as naming an insect, worm, snake, shellfish or other small crawling creature
The old graph was a picture of a snake seen from the side: a wedge-shaped head on top and a slender body curling down to a pointed tail. In the modern 虫 you can still read that picture — the small boxed top is the head, the long vertical stroke running through it is the body, and the final dot flicks off like the tail. Because snakes, worms, bugs and shellfish were all felt to belong together as small crawling things, 虫 became the general marker for them, and it sits on the left in words like 蛆, 蛇, 蛎 and 蛳. A few characters such as 浊, 烛, 独 and 虽 contain the same shape only through simplification or sound, with no bug meaning at all.
虫 at a glance
- Meaning
- marks a word as naming an insect
- Strokes
- 6
- Characters
- 207
- Role
- Contributes meaning
- Kangxi radical
- 142
Characters with 虫 (114 of 207)
HSK 2 · 1
HSK 3 · 1
HSK 5 · 10
Beyond HSK · 99
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 虫 mean?
虫 means "marks a word as naming an insect". In the characters that contain it, it contributes meaning.
How many Chinese characters contain 虫?
207 characters in this dictionary contain 虫, including ones at HSK 2, HSK 3, HSK 5, HSK 6.
Is 虫 a radical?
Yes — 虫 is Kangxi radical 142, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.
How many strokes does 虫 have?
虫 is written in 6 strokes.