insect

Origin & mnemonic

This radical derives from a pictographic depiction of an insect in oracle-bone script and seal script. The three legs below and segmented body structure represent the anatomical features of an insect.

Mnemonic: Remember the three strokes below as the three pairs of insect legs, with the upper body forming the head and abdomen.

• 蛋dàn🔊

  egg

  HSK 2

  11 strokes

• 蛇shé🔊

  snake

  HSK 5

  11 strokes

• 蛆qū🔊

  maggot

  11 strokes

• 蛊gǔ🔊

  arch. legendary venomous insect

  11 strokes

• 蚯qiū🔊

  used in 蚯蚓[qiu1 yin3]

  11 strokes

• 蚰yóu🔊

  see 蚰蜒[you2 yan5]

  11 strokes

• 蚱zhà🔊

  grasshopper

  11 strokes

• 蚲píng🔊

  rice weevil

  11 strokes

• 蚳chí🔊

  ant eggs

  11 strokes

• 蚴yòu🔊

  larva

  11 strokes

• 蚵é🔊

  (Tw) oyster (from Taiwanese, Tai-lo pr. [ô])

  11 strokes

• 蚶hān🔊

  small clam (Arca inflata)

  11 strokes

• 蚹fù🔊

  scales on the belly of a snake, aiding locomotion

  11 strokes

• 蚺rán🔊

  boa

  11 strokes

• 蚻zhá🔊

  Aphrophora martima

  11 strokes

• 蚽pí🔊

  a kind of insect (old)

  11 strokes

• 蚿xián🔊

  millipede

  11 strokes

• 蛀zhù🔊

  termite

  11 strokes

• 蛁diāo🔊

  Pomponia maculatiocollis

  11 strokes

• 蛄gū🔊

  see 螻蛄|蝼蛄[lou2 gu1]

  11 strokes

• 蛅rán🔊

  a caterpillar

  11 strokes

• 蛉líng🔊

  sandfly

  11 strokes

• 蛌gǔ🔊

  cricket

  11 strokes

• 蛎lì🔊

  oyster

  11 strokes

• 蛏chēng🔊

  mussel

  11 strokes

• 𬟽dōng🔊

  used in 螮蝀|䗖𬟽[di4 dong1]

  11 strokes

• 蛤há🔊

  used in 蛤蟆[ha2 ma5]

  12 strokes

• 蛮mán🔊

  barbarian

  HSK 7

  12 strokes

• 蛙wā🔊

  old variant of 蛙[wa1]

  12 strokes

• 蛛zhū🔊

  (bound form) spider

  12 strokes

• 蛐qū🔊

  used in 蛐蛐[qu1 qu5]

  12 strokes

• 蛑móu🔊

  marine crab

  12 strokes

• 蛓cì🔊

  (literary) caterpillar

  12 strokes

• 蛔huí🔊

  old variant of 蛔[hui2]

  12 strokes

• 蛘yáng🔊

  a weevil found in rice etc

  12 strokes

• 蛚liè🔊

  Cyrtoxiphus ritsemae

  12 strokes

• 蛜yī🔊

  woodlouse

  12 strokes

• 蛞kuò🔊

  used in 蛞螻|蛞蝼[kuo4 lou2]

  12 strokes

• 蛟jiāo🔊

  a legendary dragon with the ability to control rain and floods

  12 strokes

• 蛡yì🔊

  (literary) honeycomb; beehive

  12 strokes

• 蛣jié🔊

  beetle

  12 strokes

• 蛧wǎng🔊

  old variant of 魍[wang3]

  12 strokes

• 蛩qióng🔊

  anxious

  12 strokes

• 蛭zhì🔊

  fluke

  12 strokes

• 蛰zhé🔊

  to hibernate

  12 strokes

• 蛱jiá🔊

  see 蛺蝶|蛱蝶[jia2 die2]

  12 strokes

• 蛲náo🔊

  parasitic worm

  12 strokes

• 蛳sī🔊

  snail

  12 strokes