Chinese word

昆虫

Pronunciation

Pinyinkūn chóng

Meaning

  • nouninsect

Example

花园里可以看到各种各样的昆虫。huā yuán lǐ ké yǐ kàn dào gè zhǒng gè yàng de kūn chóng

Various kinds of insects can be seen in the garden.

Illustration for 昆虫 (insect)

More examples

许多鸟类以昆虫为食。xǔ duō niǎo lèi yǐ kūn chóng wèi shí

Many birds feed on insects.

Core concept

A tiny hard-bodied animal with a head, thorax, abdomen, and usually six legs.

Common phrases

  • 昆虫种类kūn chóng zhǒng lèi

    insect species

  • 有益昆虫yǒu yì kūn chóng

    beneficial insects

  • 昆虫标本kūn chóng biāo běn

    insect specimen

Similar words

虫chóng: A casual everyday name for a small, moving creature.
害虫hài chóng: A pest that harms crops or causes trouble in daily life.
幼虫yòu chóng: A young insect that has not reached adulthood and may look and live differently.

Definition in Chinese

指具有外骨骼、身体分为头、胸、腹三部分，通常有六足的小型节肢动物，生物学上对应昆虫纲的成员。zhǐ jù yǒu wài gǔ gé shēn tǐ fēn wéi tóu xiōng fù sān bù fèn tōng cháng yǒu liù zú de xiǎo xíng jié zhī dòng wù shēng wù xué shàng duì yìng kūn chóng gāng de chéng yuán

Word origin

昆 (kūn, "many") + 虫 (chóng, "small creature") forms a term for a group of small creatures, now fixed as the biological category of insects.

Usage tips

  • Everyday speech often names the particular creature rather than the whole category, so this word is most useful when several kinds are being discussed together.

Other meanings

  • bugnoun

Related words

  • 昆虫学kūn chóng xuéentomologynoun
  • 昆虫学家kūn chóng xué jiāentomologistnoun

Word lists with this word