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蚋 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
蚋ruìmosquito, gnatg, 10 strokes, radical 虫, rank #75256, Very Hard
蚋ruì(mosquito)unknown, 10 strokes, radical 虫, rank #75256, Very Hard
蚋ruìSimulia lugubrisunknown, 10 strokes, radical 虫, rank #75256, Very Hard
蚋ruìblackflyunknown, 10 strokes, radical 虫, rank #75256, Very Hard
ruì(rui4) T4
  1. 1mosquito, gnat
  2. 2(mosquito)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

蚋ruì(rui4)

The character 蚋 (ruì) refers to small flying insects, specifically mosquitoes and gnats. It is often used to describe these pests, particularly in contexts related to nature, health, or annoyance, as they are commonly associated with bites and diseases.

Strokes10Radical虫Frequency#75256DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, mosquitoes are often viewed as carriers of diseases, and there are various herbal remedies to ward them off. The presence of mosquitoes is a common topic during summer, especially in rural areas.

Memory Tip

Imagine a tiny mosquito, the size of a 'ruin', buzzing around your ear, causing irritation. The two dots in the character 蚋 resemble the eyes of this pesky insect, while the radical for 'insect' (虫) signifies its nature as a bug.

Meanings of 蚋

ruì(rui4)
1mosquito, gnat
2(mosquito)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 蚋

蚋Simplified
10Strokes
虫Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 蚋

JasonAmy

Podcast: 蚋

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 蚋

Usage Notes

This word is typically used in informal contexts when discussing insects. A common mistake is confusing 蚋 (ruì) with other similar characters like 蚊 (wén), which specifically means mosquito. Be mindful of the tone when pronouncing it, as it is a fourth tone.

HSK Study Tips

While 蚋 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it connects to HSK Level 2 words related to animals and nature. Students should focus on pronunciation and recognizing the insect radical (虫) in other characters.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 蚋 with 蚊, using 蚋 incorrectly to describe mosquitoes. Remember, 蚋 is more general and includes gnats; use 蚊 for mosquitoes specifically.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 蚋

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Etymology of 蚋

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

insect

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 蚋

  1. 1The meaning half虫 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half内 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 蚋? 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 蚋?

Decomposition of 蚋

IDS Structure⿰虫内
蚋Full Character
=
虫chong2
left
内nei4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 蚋?

How to say mosquito, gnat in Chinese

“mosquito, gnat” in Chinese is蚋ruì

The character 蚋 (ruì) refers to small flying insects, specifically mosquitoes and gnats. It is often used to describe these pests, particularly in contexts related to nature, health, or annoyance, as they are commonly associated with bites and diseases.

When to use 蚋

This word is typically used in informal contexts when discussing insects. A common mistake is confusing 蚋 (ruì) with other similar characters like 蚊 (wén), which specifically means mosquito. Be mindful of the tone when pronouncing it, as it is a fourth tone.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 蚋 with 蚊, using 蚋 incorrectly to describe mosquitoes. Remember, 蚋 is more general and includes gnats; use 蚊 for mosquitoes specifically.

Write 蚋

蚋

Practice writing 蚋 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 蚋

Words Containing This Character1
蚋ruì(mosquito)
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 蚋 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 蚋

It is pronounced as 'ruì', with a falling tone.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 蚋?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.