Meaning of 虫子
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- insect
- bug
- worm
Measure word: 條|条,隻|只
How to use 虫子
虫子 is the casual, spoken word for any small crawling or flying creature, from ants to caterpillars to worms. It often appears with 有 (yǒu) to say there are bugs somewhere. Example: 苹果里有一条虫子。(Píngguǒ lǐ yǒu yì tiáo chóngzi.) There is a worm in the apple.
虫 (chóng) looks like a small creature with a body and a tail curling at the bottom. Add the common noun ending 子 (zi) and you get the everyday word 虫子, a bug or worm.
Common mistake: Learners often read 子 here with a full third tone as zǐ, but in 虫子 it is neutral: chóngzi, just like 桌子 (zhuōzi) and 杯子 (bēizi). Also keep the second tone on 虫 (chóng) and do not confuse it with 重 (zhòng, heavy) or 冲 (chōng, to rush).
虫子 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
虫 chóng · insect · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
子 zi · noun suffix · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 虫子.
Questions about 虫子
What does 虫子 mean?
虫子 (chóngzi) means "insect; bug" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 虫子?
虫子 is made of 2 characters: 虫 (6 strokes), 子 (3 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 虫子 an HSK word?
Yes. 虫子 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 虫子 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 虫子 is written 蟲子.
What measure word is used with 虫子?
条 (tiáo) is common for long worm-like bugs, as in 一条虫子. 只 (zhī) is used for insects with legs or wings, as in 一只虫子.
Is 虫子 the same as 昆虫?
Not exactly. 昆虫 (kūnchóng) is the scientific or formal word for insect. 虫子 is the everyday word and covers insects, worms and other small creepy crawlies.