蛾
moth
Readings
On'yomi
- ギ
- ガ
Kun'yomi
- ひむし
Meaning
蛾 centers on a moth, a winged insect related to butterflies but typically nocturnal and less colorful.
Most common words using 蛾
20 of 35- 蛾が
moth
- 衣蛾いが
Tinea translucens (species of clothes moth)
- 一点大螟蛾いってんおおめいが
yellow stem borer (Scirpophaga incertulas)
- 三化螟蛾さんかめいが
yellow stem borer (species of moth, Scirpophaga incertulas)
- 二化螟蛾にかめいが
striped stem borer (Chilo suppressalis)
- 刺蛾いらが
Monema flavescens (species of slug moth)
- 夜盗蛾よとうが
cabbage armyworm
- 夜蛾やが
owlet moth (members of the family Noctuidae); noctuid
- 大透翅蛾おおすかしば
coffee bee hawkmoth (Cephonodes hylas); pellucid hawk moth; coffee clearwing
- 天社蛾しゃちほこが
lobster moth (Stauropus fagi persimilis)
- 小菜蛾こなが
diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella); cabbage moth
- 小衣蛾こいが
common clothes moth (Tineola biselliella)
- 尺蛾しゃくが
geometer moth; geometrid
- 山繭蛾やままゆが
Japanese oak silkmoth (Antheraea yamamai)
- 巴蛾ともえが
Indian owlet-moth (Spirama retorta)
- 広頭小蛾ひろずこが
tineid (any moth of family Tineidae)
- 木蠹蛾ぼくとうが
Yakudza vicarius (species of moth)
- 杉毒蛾すぎどくが
Calliteara argentata (species of moth)
- 毒蛾どくが
poisonous moth
- 火取蛾ひとりが
garden tiger moth (Arctia caja)
Study
Etymology
蛾 combines 虫 (insect) with 我, which likely contributes the sound. The character specifically denotes a moth.
Meaning mnemonic
The insect radical 虫 on the left tells you it's a bug, and the right side 我 looks like a moth with its wings spread. Together, 蛾 is a moth.
Reading mnemonic
For ギ, imagine a moth flying toward a bright key: key -> ギ, and the moth is drawn to the light.