螳 meaning and stroke order
Praying mantis
How to write 螳, stroke by stroke
17 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 螳
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- praying mantis
How 螳 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Insect.
虫 gives the meaning and 堂 hints at the sound.
Radical: 虫 (insect), shared by 197 characters on this site.
How to remember 螳
An insect 虫 (chóng) standing tall in a grand hall 堂 (táng), front legs raised like it is praying. The 虫 tells you it is a bug, and 堂 gives the sound táng.
螳 almost never appears alone. It is used in the word 螳螂 (tángláng), praying mantis, and in the idiom 螳臂当车 (táng bì dāng chē), a mantis trying to stop a cart with its arm, meaning to overestimate yourself. Example: 草丛里有一只螳螂。(Cǎocóng lǐ yǒu yì zhī tángláng.) There is a mantis in the grass.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 堂 without the 虫 on the left, or mix up 螳 with 膛 (táng, chest cavity) and 糖 (táng, sugar), which share the same sound. Remember that the 虫 side means it is an animal or insect.
Common words with 螳
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 螳螂 | tángláng | mantis; praying mantis |
Questions about 螳
How many strokes are in 螳?
螳 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 螳 mean?
螳 (táng) means praying mantis. A common word with it is 螳螂 (tángláng), meaning "mantis; praying mantis".
How do you pronounce 螳?
螳 is pronounced táng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 螳?
The radical of 螳 is 虫, which carries the idea of "insect". Dictionaries list 螳 under this radical.
What does the idiom 螳臂当车 mean?
It literally means a mantis using its arm to block a cart. It describes someone who tries to resist a force far stronger than themselves, usually in a critical or mocking way.
Is there a saying about the mantis and the cicada?
Yes. 螳螂捕蝉，黄雀在后 (tángláng bǔ chán, huángquè zài hòu) means the mantis catches the cicada while the oriole waits behind it. It warns that someone chasing a small gain may miss a bigger danger.