虫
chóng · insect💡 How to pronounce
ch → like the 'ch' in 'chop'. óng → like 'long' with a rising tone.
📖 The Story
虫 is the insect — a pictograph that originally represented a snake or worm. Over time, it came to mean all insects and small creatures. Insects are everywhere in nature, and they play an important role in Chinese culture and mythology.
🎬 In Culture Today
The silkworm (蚕) is one of the most important insects in Chinese history — it produces silk, which was China's most valuable export for thousands of years. The phrase '虫虫' (chóng chong) is a cute way to say 'little bug'.
📚 Words
虫子bug / insect
昆虫insect
害虫pest
📝 Example Sentences
我喜欢研究昆虫。
I like studying insects.
小虫子很可爱。
Little bugs are cute.