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 (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

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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)	Kangxi Dictionary (compiled in Qing)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Ming typeface

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.)

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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”)

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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]

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Vietnamese

Han character

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

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