蝿
fly
Readings
On'yomi
- ヨウ
Kun'yomi
- はえ
- はい
Meaning
蝿 centers on the common insect: a fly. It is a specific zoological term without broad abstract extensions.
Most common words using 蝿
- 光茸蝿ひかりきのこばえ
glowworm
- 刺蝿さしばえ
stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans)
- 地中海実蝿ちちゅうかいみばえ
Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata); medfly
- 実蝿みばえ
fruit fly (any insect of family Tephritidae)
- 瓜蝿うりばえ
cucurbit leaf beetle (Aulacophora femoralis)
- 糞蝿くそばえ
greenbottle fly
- 糞蝿ふんばえ
dung fly (any fly of family Scathophagidae)
- 糠蝿ぬかばえ
biting midge (any insect of family Ceratopogonidae); no-see-um
- 臭い物に蝿がたかるくさいものにはえがたかる
flies are attracted to foul smells; ruffians flock together
- 蚤蝿のみばえ
phorid fly
- 蝶蝿ちょうばえ
moth fly (Psychodidae); moth midge; sand fly
- 蝿取り紙はえとりがみ
flypaper
- 蝿帳はいちょう
fly-net cupboard
- 蝿毒草はえどくそう
Asian lopseed (Phryma leptostachya subsp. asiatica)
- 蝿蛆症ようそしょう
myiasis
- 銀蝿ぎんばえ
large silvery fly
- 馬蝿うまばえ
horse botfly (Gasterophilus intestinalis)
Study
Etymology
蝿 combines 虫 (insect) with a phonetic component that historically indicated the sound. The right side is a simplified form, and its exact origin is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The insect radical 虫 on the left tells you it's a bug. The right side looks like a fly's body with wings and a curled tail, making 蝿 a fly.
Reading mnemonic
For ヨウ, imagine a fly buzzing with a high-pitched 'yo' sound: yo -> ヨウ, as the fly darts around.