蝴 meaning and stroke order
Butterfly
How to write 蝴, stroke by stroke
15 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 蝴
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- used in 蝴蝶[hu2 die2]
How 蝴 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Insect.
虫 gives the meaning and 胡 hints at the sound.
Radical: 虫 (insect), shared by 197 characters on this site.
How to remember 蝴
蝴 is built from 虫 (chóng, insect) on the left and 胡 (hú) on the right. The insect part tells you it is a bug, and 胡 gives the sound hú, so think of a bug that sounds like hú: the butterfly.
蝴 almost never appears alone. It is used in the word 蝴蝶 (húdié, butterfly) and in related words like 蝴蝶结 (húdiéjié, bow). Example: 花园里有很多蝴蝶。(Huāyuán lǐ yǒu hěn duō húdié.) There are many butterflies in the garden.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write only 胡 and forget the 虫 on the left, which turns it into a different character used in words like 胡子 (húzi, beard). Also keep the second tone on hú, and note that 蝶 in 蝴蝶 is also second tone: húdié.
Common words with 蝴
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 蝴蝶 | húdié | butterfly | |
| 蝴蝶结 | húdiéjié | bow; bowknot |
蝴 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 蝴
How many strokes are in 蝴?
蝴 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 蝴 mean?
蝴 (hú) means butterfly. A common word with it is 蝴蝶 (húdié), meaning "butterfly".
How do you pronounce 蝴?
蝴 is pronounced hú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 蝴?
The radical of 蝴 is 虫, which carries the idea of "insect". Dictionaries list 蝴 under this radical.
Can I say 蝴 by itself to mean butterfly?
No. 蝴 is not used as a standalone word in modern Chinese. You need the full word 蝴蝶 (húdié) to say butterfly.
How do I say tie a bow in Chinese?
You can say 打个蝴蝶结 (dǎ gè húdiéjié), literally tie a butterfly knot. It works for bows on gifts, shoes, or hair.