蟻 meaning and stroke order
Ant
How to write 蟻, stroke by stroke
19 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 蟻
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- ant
How 蟻 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Insect.
虫 gives the meaning and 義 hints at the sound.
Radical: 虫 (insect), shared by 197 characters on this site.
How to remember 蟻
On the left is 虫 (chóng), insect, which tells you the meaning. On the right is 義 (yì), which gives the sound, so picture a disciplined insect marching in line, doing its duty: an ant, 蟻 (yǐ).
蟻 is the traditional form, and on its own it is mostly literary. In everyday speech people say 螞蟻 (mǎyǐ), written 蚂蚁 in simplified characters. Example: 地上有很多螞蟻。(Dì shang yǒu hěn duō mǎyǐ.) There are lots of ants on the ground.
Common mistake: Learners often give 蟻 the fourth tone of its sound component 義 (yì). The correct tone is third, yǐ, and in 螞蟻 (mǎyǐ) the first syllable 螞 usually sounds closer to second tone in speech because two third tones meet.
Common words with 蟻
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 蟻
How many strokes are in 蟻?
蟻 is written with 19 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 蟻 mean?
蟻 (yǐ) means ant. A common word with it is 蚂蚁 (mǎyǐ), meaning "ant".
How do you pronounce 蟻?
蟻 is pronounced yǐ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 蟻?
The radical of 蟻 is 虫, which carries the idea of "insect". Dictionaries list 蟻 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 蟻?
蟻 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 蚁, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is a termite a kind of ant in Chinese?
Chinese calls termites 白蟻 (báiyǐ), literally white ant, although biologically they are not true ants. It is the normal everyday word, so you will see it on pest control signs.
Can 蟻 describe people as well as insects?
Yes. In figurative language it suggests something tiny or numerous. For example, 工蟻 (gōngyǐ), worker ant, is sometimes used for an ordinary worker who toils hard for little reward.