蜻
dragonfly
Readings
On'yomi
- セイ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
蜻 centers on the dragonfly, an insect known for its long, slender body and transparent wings. The meaning is specific to this insect.
Most common words using 蜻
- 蜻蛉とんぼN1
dragonfly
- 蜻蜒やんま
darner (any dragonfly of family Aeshnidae); devil's darning needle
- 鬼蜻蜓おにやんま
Siebold's dragonfly (Anotogaster sieboldii); jumbo dragonfly
- 伊予蜻蛉いよとんぼ
whip-carrying habenaria (Habenaria iyoensis)
- 塩辛蜻蛉しおからとんぼ
Orthetrum albistylum speciosum (subspecies of white-tailed skimmer)
- 川蜻蛉かわとんぼ
broad-winged damselfly (of family Calopterygidae)
- 御歯黒蜻蛉おはぐろとんぼ
Calopteryx atrata (species of damselfly)
- 昔蜻蛉むかしとんぼ
Epiophlebia superstes (species of living-fossil dragonfly endemic to Japan)
- 水蜻蛉みずとんぼ
Habenaria sagittifera (species of bog orchid)
- 涸沼糸蜻蛉ひぬまいととんぼ
Mortonagrion hirosei (species of damselfly)
- 深山川蜻蛉みやまがわとんぼ
Calopteryx cornelia (species of damselfly)
- 紅糸蜻蛉べにいととんぼ
Ceriagrion nipponicum (species of damselfly)
- 羽黒蜻蛉はぐろとんぼ
Calopteryx atrata (species of damselfly)
- 蛇蜻蛉へびとんぼ
dobsonfly (esp. species Protohermes grandis)
- 角蜻蛉つのとんぼ
owlfly (any insect of family Ascalaphidae); owl fly
- 麦藁蜻蛉むぎわらとんぼ
dragonfly
- 黄蜻蛉きとんぼ
yellow darter (Sympetrum croceolum) (dragonfly species of East Asia)
Study
Etymology
蜻 combines 虫 (insect) with 青, which likely contributes the sound and may relate to the blue-green color often associated with dragonflies.
Meaning mnemonic
The insect radical 虫 beside 青 (blue-green) suggests a blue-green insect: a dragonfly, often seen shimmering in those colors.
Reading mnemonic
For セイ, imagine a dragonfly landing on a saint's hand: saint -> セイ, and the saint admires the insect.