虫

See also: 蟲

虫 U+866B, 虫 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-866B ← 虪 [U+866A] CJK Unified Ideographs 虬 → [U+866C]

⾍ U+2F8D, ⾍ KANGXI RADICAL INSECT ← ⾌ [U+2F8C] Kangxi Radicals ⾎ → [U+2F8E]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

虫 (Kangxi radical 142, 虫+0, 6 strokes, cangjie input 中一戈 (LMI), four-corner 5013₆, composition ⿱中⿰㇀丶)

1. Kangxi radical #142, ⾍.

Derived characters

• Appendix:Chinese radical/虫
• 𭂌, 𠙍, 𫩮, 𡘗, 独, 𢘷, 𢫼, 浊, 𨹁, 𨒷, 𣆣, 𣑺, 𣭦, 烛, 𤙕, 𦚭, 𭺟, 䂈, 𪿛, 𧙽, 𬗌, 触, 𧳃, 赨, 𫏪, 鉵, 𮨩, 𮩿, 䶚
• 𠛿, 㰩, 䳋, 𭜫, 茧, 𤼭, 萤, 𬝋, 𦳶, 𫢀, 𦸞, 𩭃, 𠣜, 𭕛, 痋, 閩(闽), 繭, 虄

References

• KangXi: page 1076, character 19
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 32804
• Dae Jaweon: page 1545, character 7
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2833, character 1
• Unihan data for U+866B

---

Chinese

Glyph origin

A venomous snake, from which this character originated.

Historical forms of the character 虫
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script

Characters in the same phonetic series (兀) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
虺	*hŋuːl, *hŋruːl, *hŋlulʔ
豗	*hŋuːl
鼿	*hŋuːl, *ŋuːd
虫	*hŋlulʔ
髡	*ŋ̊ʰuːn
軏	*ŋod, *ŋuːd
扤	*ŋod, *ŋuːd
兀	*ŋuːd
杌	*ŋuːd
屼	*ŋuːd
矹	*ŋluːd

Pictogram (象形): a snake.

The character originally represented a type of venomous snake, while the derivative 蟲 represented worms and insects (or insect-like things). 虫 was later borrowed for 蟲 (possibly via simplification), and the character 虺 was created to represent the original meaning.

Etymology 1

For pronunciation and definitions of 虫 – see 蟲 (“insect; bug; creature, animal; etc.”). (This character, 虫, is the simplified and variant form of 蟲.)

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 虫 – see 虺 (“venomous snake; snake; etc.”). (This character, 虫, is an ancient form of 虺.)

---

Japanese

Shinjitai	虫
Kyūjitai	蟲

Kanji

虫

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 蟲)

1. insect, bug
2. generic name for animals

Readings

As shinjitai form of 蟲:

• Go-on: じゅう (jū)^{←ぢゆう (dyū, historical)}
• Kan-on: ちゅう (chū, Jōyō)^{←ちゆう (tyū, historical)}
• Kun: むし (mushi, 虫, Jōyō)

As the ancient form of 虺:

• Go-on: け (ke)^{←け (ke, historical)←くゑ (kwe, ancient)}
• Kan-on: き (ki)^{←き (ki, historical)←くゐ (kwi, ancient)}
• Kun: まむし (mamushi, 虫)

Compounds

Compounds

• 虫(ちゅう)媒(ばい) (chūbai)
• 益(えき)虫(ちゅう) (ekichū, “beneficial insect”)
• 回(かい)虫(ちゅう), 蛔(かい)虫(ちゅう) (kaichū)
• 害(がい)虫(ちゅう) (gaichū, “harmful insect”)
• 寄(き)生(せい)虫(ちゅう) (kiseichū, “parasite”)
• 駆(く)虫(ちゅう) (kuchū)
• 甲(こう)虫(ちゅう) (kōchū, “beetle”)
• 昆(こん)虫(ちゅう) (konchū, “insect”)
• 成(せい)虫(ちゅう) (seichū)
• 精(せい)虫(ちゅう) (seichū)
• 蠕(ぜん)虫(ちゅう) (zenchū, “worm”)
• 爬(は)虫(ちゅう) (hachū), 爬(は)虫(ちゅう)類(るい) (hachūrui)
• 防(ぼう)虫(ちゅう) (bōchū)
• 幼(よう)虫(ちゅう) (yōchū, “larva”)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
虫
むし Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
蟲 (kyūjitai)

/musi/ → /muɕi/

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
• (Tokyo) むし [mùshí] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [mɯ̟ᵝɕi]

Noun

虫(むし) • (mushi)  (kyūjitai 蟲)

1. a bug, insect, worm

   Synonym: 昆虫 (konchū)

2. a serpent, snake

   獅(し)子(し)身(しん)中(ちゅう)の虫(むし)

   shishi shinchū no mushi

   a serpent in a lion

   Synonym: 蛇 (hebi)

3. (figurative): a worm (person living for only one thing)

   本(ほん)の虫(むし)

   hon no mushi

   a bookworm

4. (derogatory): a worm (despicable person)

   泣(な)き虫(むし)

   nakimushi

   a sobbing worm; a blubberer

5. a temperament (thought which is in the deep in mind) (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)

   癇(かん)の虫(むし)

   kan no mushi

   a choleric temperament

6. (archaic) a male lover

   Synonyms: 愛人 (aijin), 情夫 (jōfu), 隠し男 (kakushi-otoko)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 虫(むし)食(く)い (mushikui, “worm-eaten”)
• 虫(むし)酸(ず), 虫(むし)唾(づ) (mushizu, “heartburn”)
• 虫(むし)歯(ば) (mushiba, “bad tooth, dental caries, cavity”)
• 虫(むし)偏(へん) (mushihen)
• 虫(むし)眼(め)鏡(がね) (mushi megane, “magnifying glass”)
• 青(アオ)虫(ムシ) (aomushi)
• 油(あぶら)虫(むし) (aburamushi, “cockroach”)
• 毛(け)虫(むし) (kemushi, “caterpillar”)
• 座(ざ)頭(とう)虫(むし) (zatōmushi, “harvestman”)
• 鈴(スズ)虫(ムシ) (suzumushi)
• 長(なが)虫(むし) (nagamushi)
• 泣(な)き虫(むし) (nakimushi, “crybaby”)
• 鋏(はさみ)虫(むし), 蠼螋(ハサミムシ) (hasamimushi, “earwig, maritime earwig”)
• 水(ミズ)虫(ムシ) (mizumushi)
• 松(マツ)虫(ムシ) (matsumushi)
• 蝮(マムシ) (mamushi, “viper”)
• 弱(よわ)虫(むし) (yowamushi, “weakling”)

---

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 蟲 (MC ɖɨuŋ).

Hanja

Wikisource

虫 (eumhun 벌레 충 (beolle chung))

1. Alternative form of 蟲 (“Hanja form^? of 충 (“insect; bug”).”)

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 虫 (MC hʉi^X).

Hanja

虫 (eumhun 벌레 훼 (beolle hwe))

1. Alternative form of 虺 (“Hanja form^? of 훼 (“type of poisonous snake”).”)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

---

Vietnamese

Han character

虫: Hán Việt readings: trùng (持(trì)中(trung)切(thiết))
虫: Nôm readings: tròng, trùng, chòng, chùng

1. chữ Hán form of trùng (“Kangxi radical 142”).