蜈 meaning and stroke order
Centipede
How to write 蜈, 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 蜈
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- used in 蜈蚣[wu2 gong1]
How 蜈 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Insect.
虫 gives the meaning and 吴 hints at the sound.
Radical: 虫 (insect), shared by 197 characters on this site.
How to remember 蜈
The left side 虫 (chóng) means bug, so this character is a creature. The right side 吴 (wú) gives the sound, so think of a bug that sounds like wú.
蜈 almost never appears alone. It is used in the word 蜈蚣 (wúgōng), meaning centipede. Example: 墙上有一只蜈蚣。(Qiáng shang yǒu yì zhī wúgōng.) There is a centipede on the wall.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the right side as 误 (wù) or 娱 (yú), which look similar but are different characters. The right part of 蜈 is plain 吴, with 口 on top and no extra radical on its left.
Common words with 蜈
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 蜈蚣 | wúgōng | centipede |
Questions about 蜈
How many strokes are in 蜈?
蜈 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 蜈 mean?
蜈 (wú) means centipede. A common word with it is 蜈蚣 (wúgōng), meaning "centipede".
How do you pronounce 蜈?
蜈 is pronounced wú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 蜈?
The radical of 蜈 is 虫, which carries the idea of "insect". Dictionaries list 蜈 under this radical.
Can 蜈 be used by itself to mean centipede?
Not in normal Chinese. You need the full word 蜈蚣 (wúgōng). On its own, 蜈 is just one syllable of that word.
What measure word is used with 蜈蚣?
The most common measure word is 只 (zhī), as in 一只蜈蚣 (yì zhī wúgōng), one centipede. You may also hear 条 (tiáo), which is used for long, thin things.