The Chinese Radical: 虫


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Meaning
insect    虫

Explanation The body 口 and the sting ム of an insect. Also this radical 昆 is understood as insect.

Used in these characters:
虽
JLPT HSK 2
although, even though
suī
口 虫
At top: mouth: 口, below: insect 虫 (The body 口 and the sting 厶 of an insect.)
In the mouth an insect? Okay, although, ..  
蛋
JLPT HSK 2
egg, oval shaped
dàn
疋 正 虫
Top: correct 正 (To stop 止 at the line 一 is correct, - actually 疋 = bales of cloth), bottom: insect 虫 (The body 口 and the sting 厶 of an insect.)
It is correct for insects to lay: eggs.  
风
JLPT HSK 3
wind, style, manner
fēng
風 㐅 虫
Simplified from 風, which showed a sail 冂 with a sail tree 一 and an insect 虫
It blows an insect 㐅 into the sail: The wind.  
触
JLPT HSK 5
to touch, sensing, to make contact with sth
chù
角 虫
Left: horn, angle 角 (image of a horn with head of an animal), right: insect 虫
The "horns" (= antennas) of insects (such as snails) are for touching and sensing.  
虫
JLPT HSK 5
worm or insect
chóng
中 虫
Developed from the image of an insect with sting (cf. scorpion 禺)
The body 口 and the sting 厶 of an insect.  
属
JLPT HSK 5
species, category, genus (taxonomy), dependents
shǔ, zhǔ
属 尸 虫
From top: buttock seen from the side 尸, accent ノ, insect 虫 with additional long legs 冂
The rear part belongs to an insect with long legs - but which species?  
惠
JLPT HSK 5
favor, benefit, honorific
huì
心 虫
Top: 叀 (insect 虫 behind two additional lines 二 as a grid), bottom: heart 心
If a grid is in front of the insect, it is for the heart: a favor/benefit.  
独
JLPT HSK 5
alone, independent, single, sole, only
dú
犭 虫
Left: wild animal 犭 (dog on the hind legs), right: insect 虫 (The body 口 and the sting 厶 of an insect.)
Wild animal and insects typically stay alone.  
蛇
JLPT HSK 5
snake, serpent
shé
虫 它 宀 匕
Left: insect 虫 (The body 口 and the sting 厶 of an insect.), right: it (lifeless) 它 (roof 宀, sitting person 匕)
The 'insect' next to the house with the sitting person is: a snake.  
强
JLPT HSK 5
strong, stubborn, vigorous
qiáng
弓 虫
Left: bow 弓, right : although 虽 (In the mouth 口 an insect 虫? Okay, although, ..)
If it can draw a bow with its mouth, this insect must be strong and stubborn.  
蜂
JLPT HSK 5
bee, wasp
fēng
虫 夆 夂 丰
Left: insect 虫 (body 口 and sting of an insect), right: pointed 夆 (sitting cross-legged 夂 on top of a growing plant 丰)
This insects sits on top of a growing plant (= the blossom): the bee, wasp.  
蜜
JLPT HSK 5
honey
mì
宀 必 虫
Top: quiet, silent 宓 (roof 宀, certainly 必 [The heart 心 is pierced by a lance ノ - certainly!]), bottom: insect 虫
Under the roof are certainly insects for making honey.  
虹
JLPT HSK 5
rainbow
hóng, jiàng
虫 工
Left: insect 虫 (The body 口 and the sting 厶 of an insect.), right: craftsman/build 工
Insects actually build the rainbow?  
蝶
JLPT HSK 5
butterfly
dié
虫 枼
Left: insect 虫 (The body 口 and the sting 厶 of an insect.), right: 枼 (epoch, generation 世, tree 木)
An insect that is only for one epoch in the tree is the butterfly.  
蝴
JLPT HSK 5
butterfly
hú
虫 胡
Left: insect 虫, right: beard, non-Han people 胡 (Like old 古 flesh 月 are the beards of the non-Han people.)
The insect that develops from an old 古 body 月/肉 (= caterpillar & cocoon), is the butterfly.  
蛮
JLPT HSK 6
barbarian, bullying, very, rough, reckless
mán
亦 虫 赤
Top: also, namely 亦 (To see this variation 亦 as red 赤, you can also do.) [red 赤: When earth (clay) 土 is burned 灬, the pottery turns red 赤], bottom: insect 虫 (The body 口 and the sting 厶 of an insect.)
Also, I think: The reddish insects are like: rough barbarians.  
蠢
JLPT HSK 6
blunt, stupid, to wiggle (of worms), sluggish
chǔn
虫
Top: spring (time) 春, bottom: 2x insect 虫
(Freshly hatched after winter:) In spring the insects are still blunt and stupid.  
骚
JLPT HSK 6
disturbance, rumpus, trouble, flirty, coquettish
sāo
馬 叉 虫
Left: horse 马/馬, right: 蚤 (fork 叉 [=hand 又 with fork 丶], insect 虫)
A horse pricked by a fork or an insect causes a coquettish disturbance.  
融
JLPT HSK 6
to melt, merge, to blend, to be in harmony
róng
鬲 虫
Left: 鬲 (image of a pot 口 with a lid 一 on a stand 冂), right: insect 虫
In the pot on the stand is an insect, but it is already melting/dissolving.  
蚁
JLPT HSK 6
ant
yǐ
虫 义
Left: insect 虫, right: justice 义 (It comes from the emphasized 丶 head of the person 人 with raised arms 乂)
These insects have justice (in the colony of) the: ants.  
烛
JLPT HSK 6
candle, to illuminate
zhú
火 虫
Left: fire 火, right: insect 虫 (here: bee 蜂)
The fire that comes from an insect, is the (beeswax) of the candle.  
蜡
JLPT HSK 6
candle, wax
là
虫 昔
Left: insect 虫 (here: a bee 蜂), right: former times 昔 (Together 共 in the sun 日 we think of former times)
This insect (= the bee) was in former times used for the wax of the candles.  
蚀
JLPT HSK 6
erosion, to nibble, to corrode, eclipse
shí
食 虫
Left: food 饣/食 (Below the cover is good 良 food.), right: insect 虫
The eating/food by an insect is "eating (nibbling) into it", like: corrosion.  
蚂
JLPT HSK 6
dragonfly, grasshopper, ant, leech
mā, mǎ, mà
虫 馬
Left: insect 虫, right: horse 马/馬 (= with mane, four legs 灬 and tail ㄅ)
Insects that resemble a horse, are the dragonfly and the grasshopper.  
浊
JLPT HSK 6
impure, turbid, muddy
zhuó
氵 虫
Left: water 氵, right: insect 虫
Water with insects is impure.  
螺
JLPT no HSK
spiral shell, screw thread, spiral
luó
虫 糸
Left: insect 虫, right: tired, exhausted 累 (If the fields are long 田 as threads 糸, they will exhaust us)
It comes from the insect and repeats until exhaustion: the helix of the spiral shell.  
蝇
JLPT no HSK
fly, musca
yíng
虫 电 乚
Left: insect 虫, right: toad 黾 (= The animal 口 on the field 田 with the long tongue 乚.)
The insect for the toad, is the fly.  
蚕
JLPT no HSK
silkworm
cán
天 虫
Top: sky/heaven 天 (= The line 一 above the big 大 person indicates the sky.), bottom: insect 虫
A heavenly insect is: the silkworm!  
虾
JLPT no HSK
shrimp, prawn
xiā
虫 下
Left: insect 虫, right: down(wards) 下
The 'insect' from the depth is the: shrimp.  
禹
JLPT no HSK
Yu the Great mythical leader who tamed the floods
yǔ
禸 禺 虫
Top: mouth 口, bottom: 禸 or with insect 虫
Like an insect 虫 with hat 一 and wide legs 冂, that is: Yu the Great.  
蛙
JLPT no HSK
frog
wā
虫 圭
Left: insect 虫, right: piled earth 圭 (2x earth 土)
The "insect" at the field's ridge (= where earth is piled) is the frog.  
蚊
JLPT no HSK
mosquito
wén
虫 文
Left: insect 虫, right: text/language 文
The insect that can be slain with a text is the mosquito.  
蜘
JLPT no HSK
spider
zhī
虫 知
Left: Insect 虫, right: to know 知 (The arrow 矢 has a target 口, which it knows.)
(In respect to building a web) The insect with (special) knowledge is: the spider.  
蝉
JLPT no HSK
cicada
chán
虫 单
Left: Insect 虫, right: single, individual 单 (It shines 丷 the sun 日 in a group of ten 十 [with nine planets] as the single one)
(They never are in a group:) The insect that stays single is the cicade.  
蟹
JLPT no HSK
crab
xiè
角 刀 牛 虫
Top: solution 解 (A horn 角 was cut by a sword 刀 from that cow 牛: Is that a solution?), bottom: insect 虫
It has a horn (= the shell) and with it claws 刀 it can pinch a cow. This 'insect' is: the crab.  
嗤
JLPT no HSK
laugh at, jeer, scoff at, sneer at
chī
口 山 虫
Left: mouth 口, right: worm, ignorant 蚩 (below 一 the mountain 山, insect 虫)
The mouth (sees), that the mountain is like one insect and: laughs (about the ignorant worm)  
蝗
JLPT no HSK
locust, grasshopper
huáng
虫 白 皇
Left: insect 虫, right: emperor 皇 (= The emphasized ノ [thus special] sun 日 above the king 王)
Among the insects is the emperor: the locust!  
闽
JLPT no HSK
abbr. for Fujian 福建 province in the Min dynasty
mǐn
門 虫
Outside: gate 门/門, inside: insect 虫
An insect at the gate stands for the Fujian-province.  
蝠
JLPT no HSK
bat
fú
虫 畐
Left: insect 虫, right: barrel of rice wine 畐
The 'insect' that likes (empty) barrels is: the bat.  
蜀
JLPT no HSK
larva, caterpillar, abbr. for Sichuan 四川
shǔ
网 勹 虫
Top: net 罒 (cf. net 网), bottom: enwrap 勹 and insect 虫
It has a 'net' for enwrapping. This insect is: the larva.  
蛾
JLPT no HSK
moth
é
虫 我
Left: insect 虫, right: I, me 我 (In my hand 手 a halberd 戈 and I am myself.)
The insect that flutters around wildly (= has an ego of its own) is the moth.  
萤
JLPT no HSK
firefly, glow-worm
yíng
艹 冖 虫
From top: plant, grass 艹, cover 冖, insect 虫
The grass covers this insect: the firefly.  
搔
JLPT no HSK
to scratch, to disturb
sāo
扌 叉 虫
Left: hand 扌, right: 蚤 (fork 叉, insect 虫)
The hand that pricks like a hand 又 with a fork 丶 or like an insect, causes: a scratch.  
蛟
JLPT no HSK
a legendary dragon controlling rain and floods
jiāo
虫 交
Left: insect 虫, right: exchange, crossing 交 (six 六 crosses 㐅)
Like an insect he is in exchange: The flood dragon.  
龋
JLPT no HSK
dental caries, decayed teeth
qǔ
齒 虫
Left: tooth 齿/齒 (Below the nose 止 an open mouth 凵 with teeth 人), right: Yu the Great 禹 (special insect 虫)
In the teeth, this special insect causes caries.  
蠕
JLPT no HSK
to wriggle, to squirm, to wiggle
rú
虫 需
Left: insect 虫, right: require, need 需 (Rain[water] 雨 on the beard 而 is needed [for care])
The insects (including worms) need (the ability) of wriggling.  
螂
JLPT no HSK
dragonfly, mantis
láng
虫 良 ⻏
Left: insect 虫, right: a youth 郎 (.. the good 良 one from the village ⻏)
(It is agile and chases its prey at high speed.) An insect (alive like) a youth is the: dragonfly.  
茧
JLPT no HSK
cocoon, callus
jiǎn
艹 虫
Top: plant, grass 艹, bottom: insect 虫
At the plant (hangs) an insect in form of: a cocoon.  
蜕
JLPT no HSK
skin cast off old skin during molting, exuvia, to pupate
tuì
虫 兑
Left: insect 虫, right: money transfer 兑 (Going out 丷 from my elder brother 兄 [big mouth 口 on legs 儿] money transactions take place.)
When the insect makes a 'payment' it is casting off the skin.  
蜒
JLPT no HSK
slug, to wriggle/snaking
yán
虫 延
Left: insect 虫, right: spread, extend 延 (This movement 廴 is correct 正 for: spreading or extending)
The insect, that has spread out is: the slug.  
蜷
JLPT no HSK
to curl up (like a scroll), to huddle, wriggle (as a worm)
quán
虫 卷 龹 㔾
Left: insect 虫, right: to roll (up), reel 卷 (Spindle ノ on which something 二, like a crouching person 㔾, is rolled on.)
The insect is 'rolled up', when it curls.  
蟒
JLPT no HSK
python
mǎng
虫 艹 犬
Left: insect 虫, right: thick weeds 莽 (If a dog 犬 can hide in the grasses 艹,艹, it is thick weeds.)
The 'insect' in the thick weed, that (eats) the dog is: the python.  
蜗
JLPT no HSK
snail, see 蜗牛
wō
虫 呙 肙
Left: insect 虫, right: chat, gossip 呙 (A mouth 口 as big as the chest 内 likes gossip.)
The insect with a big mouth (relative to the body) is this snail.  
螅
JLPT no HSK
intestinal worm
xī
虫 息
Left: insect 虫, right: breath 息 (I myself 自 and my heart 心 need a breath.)
The insect that (shares with me) my breath is: the intestinal worm.  
蛤
JLPT no HSK
clam, frog, toad
gé, há
虫 合
Left: Insect 虫, right: to fit 合 (The lid on the pot 口)
The insect that fits in (somewhere) is: the clam or toad.  
蟋
JLPT no HSK
cricket
xī
虫 釆 心
Left: insect 虫, right: know, be familiar with 悉 (To have the outstanding ノ of rice 米 in your heart 心 is the real knowledge)
The insect, that is known/familiar is: the cricket.  
蟀
JLPT no HSK
cricket
shuài
虫 率
Left: insect 虫, right: ratio 率 (rotary disks 亠,十 turn threads 糸 into small parts 冫 in that ratio)
The insect that has the pronunciation 'shuài' like at 'ratio 率 ' is the: cricket.  
蛊
JLPT no HSK
to drive to insanity, to bewitch, intestinal parasite
gǔ
虫 皿
Top: insect 虫, below: bowl/plate 皿
(e.g. the tapeworm, which is ingested through food) If there were insects in my bowl/food, the intestinal parasite drive me to insanity.  
蝙
JLPT no HSK
bat
biān
虫 扁
Left: insect 虫, right: flat 扁 (door 戸 with a writing tablet 冊 as: "door plate")
The 'insect' that flutters like a door plate (at a thread) is: the bat.  
蟆
JLPT no HSK
toad
má, ma
虫 莫
Left: insect 虫, right: negative, sunset 莫 (The plants 艹 are made by the sun 日 to be large 大 [= as long shadows] at sunset.)
The 'insect, that becomes active at sunset, is the toad.  
镯
JLPT no HSK
bracelet, armband
zhuó
金 网 勹 虫
Left: metal 钅/金, right: larva, caterpillar 蜀 (It has a 'net' 罒 for enwrapping 勹. This insect 虫 is: the larva)
This metal is bent like a caterpillar: the bracelet.  
蛛
JLPT no HSK
spider, spider web
zhū
虫 朱 未
Left: insect 虫, right: vermilion 朱 (A branch of a young [= not yet] tree 未 has sth. red ノ =apple?) Here: a net in a tree 木
This insect makes a net in a tree: the spider.  
蜿
JLPT no HSK
to move (as snake), wriggle
wān
虫 宛 夗
Left: insect 虫, right: "as, if", similar 宛 (When I at home 宀 in the evening 夕 slump 㔾 (e.g. on the TV-coach) it's always just similar.)
The insects are similar when they: move as a snake.  
蜈
JLPT no HSK
centipede
wú
虫 吴
Left: insect 虫, right: area in Jiangsu 吴 (mouth 口 and sky 天)
The insect in Jiangsu is the: centipede.  
蝎
JLPT no HSK
scorpion
xiē
虫 禺 曷
Left: insect 虫, right: interrogation 曷 (=The mouth with tongue 曰 enwraps 勹 the person 人 in the corner at the interrogation.)
(For torture:) An insect for the interrogation is the scorpion.  
蟾
JLPT no HSK
moon, (striped) toad, living on the moon
chán
虫 詹
Left: insect 虫, right: excellent, verbose 詹 (Who, when looking upwards 厃, is using eight 八 words 言, is verbose.)
The 'insect' for which you look upwards and which talks is the toad living on the moon.  
螃
JLPT no HSK
crab
páng
虫 旁
Left: insect 虫, right: one side, beside 旁 ([The servants] are in one direction 方 (side) of the emperor 帝 [modified]: at his side.)
The insect that moves laterally / sidewards, is the crab.  
蚌
JLPT no HSK
mussel, clam, oyster, shell
bàng, bèng
虫 丰
Left: insect 虫, right: abundance 丰 (strongly growing plant)
An 'insect', that is in abundance, is the mussel.  
蛹
JLPT no HSK
chrysalis, pupa
yǒng
虫 甬
Left: insect 虫, right: 甬 (bent person マ, use, need 用 [A fence 用 can be used])
This insect is bent: This is needed by the pupa.  
蛀
JLPT no HSK
termite, to bore (of insects)
zhù
虫 主
Left: insect 虫, right: master 主 (I emphasize 丶, the king 王 is the master)
(They live in own 'building':) The insect that is the master (of his own home) is: the termite.  

Radicals are shown here that are similar either in appearance or meaning.

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