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蝌 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
蝌kētadpolen, 15 strokes, radical 虫
kē(ke1) T1
  1. 1tadpole
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

蝌kē(ke1)

The character 蝌 (kē) refers to a tadpole, which is an early developmental stage of frogs. It is commonly used in discussions about biology, nature, or environmental studies, especially when talking about amphibians or aquatic ecosystems.

Strokes15Radical虫
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, frogs and their life cycles are often associated with transformation and growth, reflecting broader themes in Chinese philosophy and literature about change and renewal.

Memory Tip

Imagine a small, wiggly tadpole in a pond. The character 蝌 resembles a tadpole swimming with its long tail. The sound 'kē' can be remembered by associating it with a 'k' sound, like a 'kick' in the water, emphasizing its movement.

Meanings of 蝌

kē(ke1)
1tadpole
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 蝌

蝌Simplified
15Strokes
虫Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 蝌

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Podcast: 蝌

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 蝌

Usage Notes

When using 蝌, be mindful that it is primarily found in more scientific or educational contexts. It is not commonly used in everyday conversation. A common collocation is 蝌蚪 (kēdǒu), which means 'tadpole' in a more specific sense.

HSK Study Tips

Though 蝌 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it relates to nature words that learners might encounter at higher levels. Focus on recognizing it in context and learning related terms like 蝌蚪.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 蝌 with 蝌蚪, mistakenly using 蝌 when they mean 'tadpole' in a detailed context. Correct usage would be 蝌蚪 for 'tadpole' in biological discussions.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 蝌

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Etymology of 蝌

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

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 科 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

worm

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 蝌

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 科 represents the sound.

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

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

Want the full history of 蝌? 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 蝌?

Decomposition of 蝌

IDS Structure⿰虫科
蝌Full Character
=
虫chong2
left
科ke1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 蝌?

How to say tadpole in Chinese

“tadpole” in Chinese is蝌kē

The character 蝌 (kē) refers to a tadpole, which is an early developmental stage of frogs. It is commonly used in discussions about biology, nature, or environmental studies, especially when talking about amphibians or aquatic ecosystems.

When to use 蝌

When using 蝌, be mindful that it is primarily found in more scientific or educational contexts. It is not commonly used in everyday conversation. A common collocation is 蝌蚪 (kēdǒu), which means 'tadpole' in a more specific sense.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 蝌 with 蝌蚪, mistakenly using 蝌 when they mean 'tadpole' in a detailed context. Correct usage would be 蝌蚪 for 'tadpole' in biological discussions.

Write 蝌

蝌

Practice writing 蝌 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 蝌

Words Containing This Character2
蝌蚪tadpole
蝌kētadpole
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 蝌蚪 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 蝌

It is pronounced as 'kē'.

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