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Kotomora

蛍

lightning-bug, firefly

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 5,000Strokes11

Readings

On'yomi

  • ケイ

Kun'yomi

  • ほたる

Meaning

蛍 centers on a small glowing insect: a firefly or lightning-bug. The meaning is concrete and specific to this luminous beetle.

Most common words using 蛍

20 of 34
  • 蛍光けいこう

    fluorescence

  • 蛍ほたる
    N1

    firefly (Luciola cruciata); lightning bug; glowworm

  • 蛍烏賊ほたるいか

    firefly squid (Watasenia scintillans); sparkling enope squid

  • 蛍火ほたるび

    glow of a firefly

  • 蛍光灯けいこうとう
    N2

    fluorescent lamp; fluorescent light

  • 姫蛍ひめぼたる

    Hotaria parvula (species of firefly)

  • 平家蛍へいけぼたる

    Aquatica lateralis (firefly species)

  • 流蛍りゅうけい

    flying firefly

  • 海蛍うみほたる

    sea firefly (Vargula hilgendorfii); seed shrimp

  • 源氏蛍げんじぼたる

    Genji firefly (Nipponoluciola cruciata)

  • 真空蛍光管しんくうけいこうかん

    vacuum fluorescent tube

  • 緑色蛍光タンパク質りょくしょくけいこうタンパクしつ

    green fluorescent protein; GFP

  • 蛍の光ほたるのひかり

    Auld Lang Syne

  • 蛍光インキけいこうインキ

    fluorescent ink

  • 蛍光ペンけいこうペン

    highlighter (pen)

  • 蛍光体けいこうたい

    fluorescent substance

  • 蛍光塗料けいこうとりょう

    fluorescent paint

  • 蛍光増白剤けいこうぞうはくざい

    fluorescent whitening agent; fluorescent brightener; fluorescent bleach

  • 蛍光板けいこうばん

    fluorescent screen

  • 蛍光染料けいこうせんりょう

    fluorescent dye

Explore all words using 蛍 →

Study

Etymology

蛍 is a phono-semantic compound: 虫 (insect) gives the meaning, and the top part (⺌ over 冖) likely contributes the sound ケイ. The character originally referred to a firefly.

Meaning mnemonic

The bottom 虫 is an insect, and the top ⺌ over 冖 looks like a little glowing light with a cover. Imagine a tiny insect carrying a lantern: that's a firefly.

Reading mnemonic

For ケイ, picture a firefly glowing like a tiny letter K in the dark: K -> ケイ, and the firefly's light spells out its reading.