蛾 meaning and stroke order
Moth
How to write 蛾, stroke by stroke
13 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 蛾
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) moth
How 蛾 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Insect.
虫 gives the meaning and 我 hints at the sound.
Radical: 虫 (insect), shared by 197 characters on this site.
How to remember 蛾
蛾 is pictophonetic: 虫 (insect) on the left gives the meaning, and 我 (wǒ) on the right hints at the sound. Picture a moth saying "me, me" (我) as it flutters toward a lamp.
蛾 is a bound form, so it usually appears inside words like 飞蛾 (fēi'é, moth) rather than standing alone. A common saying is 飞蛾扑火 (fēi'é pū huǒ), "a moth flying into the flame," used for someone rushing into self-destruction.
Common mistake: Learners often read 蛾 as wǒ because of the 我 component, but it is é with a rising second tone. Also do not confuse it with 鹅 (é, goose), which has the same sound and phonetic but uses 鸟 (bird) instead of 虫.
Common words with 蛾
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 飞蛾 | fēi'é | moth |
蛾 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 蛾
How many strokes are in 蛾?
蛾 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 蛾 mean?
蛾 (é) means moth. A common word with it is 飞蛾 (fēi'é), meaning "moth".
How do you pronounce 蛾?
蛾 is pronounced é, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 蛾?
The radical of 蛾 is 虫, which carries the idea of "insect". Dictionaries list 蛾 under this radical.
What is the difference between 蛾 and 蝴蝶?
蛾 means moth and 蝴蝶 (húdié) means butterfly. Chinese makes the same distinction English does, and moths are often linked with night and lamps.
What does 蛾眉 mean?
蛾眉 (éméi) literally means "moth eyebrows" and describes a woman's long, finely curved eyebrows, like a moth's antennae. It is a literary expression for beauty.