虫 chóng — insect; worm; an animal; an invertebrate; a worm; an insect
草丛里有许多小虫子。Cǎo cóng lǐ yǒu xǔ duō xiǎo chóng zi.There are many little insects in the grass.
Common words: 虫子 (chóng zi)、昆虫 (kūn chóng)、害虫 (hài chóng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "insect"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "insect", including 虫 (chóng), 莎 (shā / suō). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "insect" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 虫 (chóng), 莎 (shā / suō) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span chóng, shā, suō — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 虫 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 虫 chónginsect; worm; an animal; an invertebrate; a worm; an insectUseful words: 虫子, 昆虫
- 莎 shā / suō(insect); (phonetic); (grass); Cyperus rotundusUseful words: 莎草, 莎丽
Common words for these 2 "insect" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 虫 (chóng) — so "insect" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "insect".
莎 shā / suō — (insect); (phonetic); (grass); Cyperus rotundus
莎士比亚是英国著名的剧作家。Shā shì bǐ yà shì Yīng guó zhù míng de jù zuò jiā.Shakespeare was a famous English playwright.
Common words: 莎草 (suō cǎo)、莎丽 (shā lì)、阿莎力 (ā shā lì)
All 2 characters
Open 虫、莎 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.