蚣 meaning and stroke order
Centipede
How to write 蚣, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 蚣
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- used in 蜈蚣[wu2 gong1]
How 蚣 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Insect.
虫 gives the meaning and 公 hints at the sound.
Radical: 虫 (insect), shared by 197 characters on this site.
How to remember 蚣
The left side 虫 (chóng) marks a bug, and the right side 公 (gōng) gives the sound. Picture a bug that marches like a public 公 parade of many legs: the centipede.
蚣 almost never appears alone. It is used in the word 蜈蚣 (wúgōng), centipede, where it is often read with a neutral tone in speech. Example: 墙上有一条蜈蚣。(Qiáng shang yǒu yì tiáo wúgōng.) There is a centipede on the wall.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 公 alone or swap in 工 on the right, but the correct phonetic part is 公 with its two top strokes and 厶 below. Also remember 蜈蚣 uses the measure word 条 (tiáo), not 个 or 只.
Common words with 蚣
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 蜈蚣 | wúgōng | centipede |
Questions about 蚣
How many strokes are in 蚣?
蚣 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 蚣 mean?
蚣 (gōng) means centipede. A common word with it is 蜈蚣 (wúgōng), meaning "centipede".
How do you pronounce 蚣?
蚣 is pronounced gōng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 蚣?
The radical of 蚣 is 虫, which carries the idea of "insect". Dictionaries list 蚣 under this radical.
Can 蚣 be used by itself to mean centipede?
No. In modern Chinese it only appears in 蜈蚣 (wúgōng). Saying 蚣 alone would sound incomplete.
Why does 蚣 sound like 公?
It is a pictophonetic character. 公 (gōng) supplies the pronunciation, while 虫 shows the meaning is related to insects and small creatures.