蛆 meaning and stroke order
Maggot
How to write 蛆, stroke by stroke
11 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 蛆
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- maggot
How 蛆 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Insect.
虫 gives the meaning and 且 hints at the sound.
Radical: 虫 (insect), shared by 197 characters on this site.
How to remember 蛆
The left side 虫 (chóng) means insect or bug, and the right side 且 (qiě) gives a hint of the sound. Picture a little bug 虫 crawling next to a stack 且, wriggling like a maggot.
蛆 (qū) is mostly used for fly larvae found on rotting food or waste. It often appears in the word 蛆虫 (qūchóng), which can also be an insult for a worthless person. Example: 垃圾里长了蛆。 (Lājī lǐ zhǎng le qū.) Maggots have grown in the garbage.
Common mistake: Learners often read 蛆 as qiě because of the phonetic part 且, but the correct reading is qū with a first tone. Also do not confuse it with 姐 (jiě, older sister), which shares 且 but has 女 on the left.
Questions about 蛆
How many strokes are in 蛆?
蛆 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 蛆 mean?
蛆 (qū) means maggot.
How do you pronounce 蛆?
蛆 is pronounced qū, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 蛆?
The radical of 蛆 is 虫, which carries the idea of "insect". Dictionaries list 蛆 under this radical.
What does the saying 苍蝇不叮无缝的蛋 have to do with maggots?
It is about flies, not maggots directly. It means flies do not land on an egg without a crack, so trouble finds people who have weaknesses. A different word, 蛆, appears in expressions like 吃饭吃出蛆来, describing something disgusting.
Is 蛆 used for worms in general?
No. 蛆 specifically means maggots, the larvae of flies. Earthworms are 蚯蚓 (qiūyǐn), and a general word for worms or bugs is 虫子 (chóngzi).