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蝻 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
蝻nǎnimmature locustx, 15 strokes, radical 虫, rank #45542, Very Hard
蝻nǎnimmature locustsunknown, 15 strokes, radical 虫, rank #45542, Very Hard
nǎn(nan3) T3
  1. 1immature locust
  2. 2immature locusts
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

蝻nǎn(nan3)

The character 蝻 (nǎn) refers to an immature locust or young locusts, highlighting a stage in their life cycle before they mature into adult insects. This term is often used in agricultural contexts or discussions about entomology, particularly when discussing the impact of locusts on crops.

Strokes15Radical虫Frequency#45542DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese agriculture, locusts are often seen as pests that can cause significant damage to crops, making discussions about their life cycle and stages, such as those represented by 蝻, particularly relevant during farming seasons.

Memory Tip

Imagine a young locust, small and nimble, hopping around like a child. The character 蝻 has a radical of '虫' (insect) at the bottom, which can remind you that it’s related to insects, while the '南' part can hint at a direction, as if the locust is heading south to mature.

Meanings of 蝻

nǎn(nan3)
1immature locust
2immature locusts
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 蝻

蝻Simplified
15Strokes
虫Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 蝻

JasonAmy

Podcast: 蝻

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AI Study Notes for 蝻

Usage Notes

This term is quite specific and may not be commonly used in everyday conversation, so it's best suited for more specialized discussions. Be cautious with pronunciation, as confusing tones could lead to misunderstandings with other similar-sounding words.

HSK Study Tips

Although 蝻 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it can be related to words like 昆虫 (kūnchóng, insect) and 蝗虫 (huángchóng, locust). Learners should focus on recognizing this character in context when studying entomology-related vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 蝻 with other insect-related characters, such as 虫 (insect) or 蝗 (locust). For example, saying '蝗' when referring to immature locusts instead of '蝻' is incorrect; make sure to use 蝻 for the immature stage.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 蝻

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Etymology of 蝻

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

insect

Semantic (meaning)虫
+
Phonetic (sound)南
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 蝻

  1. 1The meaning half虫 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half南 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayinsect
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 蝻? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 蝻?

Decomposition of 蝻

IDS Structure⿰虫南
蝻Full Character
=
虫chong2
left
南Nan2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 蝻?

How to say immature locust in Chinese

“immature locust” in Chinese is蝻nǎn

The character 蝻 (nǎn) refers to an immature locust or young locusts, highlighting a stage in their life cycle before they mature into adult insects. This term is often used in agricultural contexts or discussions about entomology, particularly when discussing the impact of locusts on crops.

When to use 蝻

This term is quite specific and may not be commonly used in everyday conversation, so it's best suited for more specialized discussions. Be cautious with pronunciation, as confusing tones could lead to misunderstandings with other similar-sounding words.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 蝻 with other insect-related characters, such as 虫 (insect) or 蝗 (locust). For example, saying '蝗' when referring to immature locusts instead of '蝻' is incorrect; make sure to use 蝻 for the immature stage.

Write 蝻

蝻

Practice writing 蝻 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 蝻

Words Containing This Character1
蝻nǎnimmature locusts
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 蝻 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 蝻

No, 蝻 is not commonly used in everyday conversation and is more specific to agricultural or scientific contexts.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 蝻?

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