Meanings of 蚣
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About 蚣
Podcast: 蚣
Podcast: 蚣
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AI Study Notes for 蚣
Learners should be cautious not to confuse 蚣 with similar insect-related characters. This term is rarely used in casual conversation, so it may be more common in entomology or specific contexts related to insects. Additionally, the pronunciation should be practiced to avoid mixing it with '公' (gōng) which means 'public' or 'male'.
While 蚣 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it can be related to other animal characters like 虫 (chóng) meaning 'insect' or 蜜 (mì) for 'honey', which are essential for understanding basic animal vocabulary. Students should focus on recognizing the character's structure and pronunciation.
Learners often confuse 蚣 with similar characters like 昂 (áng) or 公 (gōng). For instance, saying '我看到一个公' (wǒ kàn dào yī gè gōng) when they mean to refer to a centipede would be incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我看到一个蚣' (wǒ kàn dào yī gè gōng).
Pronunciation of 蚣
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Etymology of 蚣
Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 公 represents the sound.
insect
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 蚣
Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 公 represents the sound.
- 1The meaning half虫 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half公 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawayinsect
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 蚣? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
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Decomposition of 蚣
Identify the Components
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How to say centipede in Chinese
“centipede” in Chinese is蚣
The character 蚣 (gōng) refers specifically to a type of centipede, known for its numerous legs and often found in damp environments. It is used primarily in scientific contexts or discussions about insects, rather than in everyday conversation, which may limit its usage for learners.
When to use 蚣
Learners should be cautious not to confuse 蚣 with similar insect-related characters. This term is rarely used in casual conversation, so it may be more common in entomology or specific contexts related to insects. Additionally, the pronunciation should be practiced to avoid mixing it with '公' (gōng) which means 'public' or 'male'.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 蚣 with similar characters like 昂 (áng) or 公 (gōng). For instance, saying '我看到一个公' (wǒ kàn dào yī gè gōng) when they mean to refer to a centipede would be incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我看到一个蚣' (wǒ kàn dào yī gè gōng).
Write 蚣
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Practice writing 蚣 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Word Family of 蚣
Compound Meaning
What does 蜈蚣 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 蚣
蚣 means centipede, specifically referring to the scolopendra type.
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