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蚰 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
蚰yóumillipeden, 11 strokes, radical 虫
yóu(you2) T2
  1. 1millipede
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

蚰yóu(you2)

The character 蚰 (yóu) refers to a millipede, a long-bodied arthropod known for its many legs. It is often encountered in natural settings like gardens or forests, and while not harmful, it plays a role in the ecosystem by decomposing organic matter.

Strokes11Radical虫
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, insects like 蚰 are often associated with nature's balance and are sometimes mentioned in literature to symbolize resilience and adaptability.

Memory Tip

Imagine a long, wiggly worm with many legs crawling through a garden. The character 蚰 combines the radical for insect (虫) with a sound component that resembles a snake slithering. Visualize the sound 'yóu' as you watch this millipede moving gracefully.

Meanings of 蚰

yóu(you2)
1millipede
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 蚰

蚰Simplified
11Strokes
虫Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 蚰

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Podcast: 蚰

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AI Study Notes for 蚰

Usage Notes

This term is more commonly used in written Chinese and may not be familiar in everyday conversation. When discussing insects or small creatures, ensure to use the correct context to avoid confusion with other similar creatures. Remember that it is not commonly used in formal settings.

HSK Study Tips

Although 蚰 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it can be linked to other words related to insects or nature. Students should focus on recognizing the insect radical (虫) to help identify similar words in the future.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 蚰 with similar characters like 虫 (insect) or 蚊 (mosquito). For example, using 蚊 to refer to a millipede would be incorrect; the correct term is 蚰.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 蚰

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Etymology of 蚰

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

insect

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 蚰

  1. 1The meaning half虫 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half由 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 蚰? 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 蚰?

Decomposition of 蚰

IDS Structure⿰虫由
蚰Full Character
=
虫chong2
left
由you2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 蚰?

How to say millipede in Chinese

“millipede” in Chinese is蚰yóu

The character 蚰 (yóu) refers to a millipede, a long-bodied arthropod known for its many legs. It is often encountered in natural settings like gardens or forests, and while not harmful, it plays a role in the ecosystem by decomposing organic matter.

When to use 蚰

This term is more commonly used in written Chinese and may not be familiar in everyday conversation. When discussing insects or small creatures, ensure to use the correct context to avoid confusion with other similar creatures. Remember that it is not commonly used in formal settings.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 蚰 with similar characters like 虫 (insect) or 蚊 (mosquito). For example, using 蚊 to refer to a millipede would be incorrect; the correct term is 蚰.

Write 蚰

蚰

Practice writing 蚰 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 蚰

Words Containing This Character2
蚰yóuearwig
蚰蜒earwig
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 蚰 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 蚰

It is pronounced as 'yóu', with the second tone.

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