Japanese word

幼虫

Pronunciation

Romajiyōchū

Meaning

  • nounlarva

Example

葉の上に幼虫がいます。ha no ue ni yō chū ga i ma su

There is a larva on the leaf.

Illustration for 幼虫 (larva)

More examples

この昆虫は幼虫の間、植物の葉を食べます。ko no kon chū wa yō chū no aida shoku butsu no ha o ta be ma su

This insect eats plant leaves while it is a larva.

Core concept

Refers to the early form of an insect that feeds and develops before becoming an adult, sometimes through a pupal stage.

Common phrases

  • 幼虫の段階yō chū no dan kai

    larval stage

  • 幼虫を観察するyō chū o kan satsu su ru

    observe a larva

Similar words

蛆uji: The soft, legless larva of a fly, often found in decaying material.
芋虫imomushi: A soft, usually smooth caterpillar that feeds on plants before becoming an adult insect.
毛虫kemushi: A caterpillar with a covering of hairs or bristles.

Definition in Japanese

卵からかえった昆虫が、成虫とは異なる形で成長する段階の姿。tamago ka ra ka e tta kon chū ga sei chū to wa koto na ru katachi de sei chō su ru dan kai no sugata

Word origin

The word 幼虫 (yōchū) combines 幼 (yō, "young") with 虫 (chū, "insect") to describe a young, developing insect.

Usage tips

  • The word larva is common in biology, but everyday English often uses grub for a beetle larva and maggot for a fly larva.

Other meanings

  • grubnoun
  • maggotnoun

Word lists with this word