蝶
butterfly
Readings
On'yomi
- チョウ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
蝶 centers on the insect butterfly, a winged creature known for its colorful, fluttering flight.
Most common words using 蝶
20 of 64- 蝶ちょうN1
butterfly
- 蝶々ちょうちょうN1
butterfly
- 胡蝶こちょう
butterfly
- 蝶番ちょうつがい
hinge
- 蝶鮫ちょうざめ
sturgeon (esp. the green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris)
- 紋白蝶もんしろちょう
small cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae)
- 揚羽蝶あげはちょう
swallowtail butterfly (esp. the citrus swallowtail butterfly, Papilio xuthus)
- 蝶々夫人ちょうちょうふじん
Madama Butterfly (opera by Puccini); Madam Butterfly
- せせり蝶せせりちょう
skipper butterfly
- アポロ薄羽白蝶アポロうすばしろちょう
parnassian butterfly
- ダウリア蝶鮫ダウリアちょうざめ
kaluga (Huso dauricus); river beluga
- 国蝶こくちょう
national butterfly
- 墨流蝶すみながし
Asian constable (species of butterfly, Dichorragia nesimachus)
- 変わり蝶鮫かわりちょうざめ
sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus)
- 夜の蝶よるのちょう
hostess (at a bar, cabaret, etc.)
- 大和小灰蝶やまとしじみ
pale grass blue (species of gossamer-winged butterfly, Pseudozizeeria maha)
- 大胡麻斑蝶おおごまだら
tree nymph butterfly (Idea leuconoe)
- 大蝶鮫おおちょうざめ
beluga (species of sturgeon, Huso huso)
- 太陽蝶たいようちょう
sunset morpho (butterfly, Morpho hecuba)
- 姫小灰蝶ひめしじみ
silver-studded blue (Plebejus argus)
Study
Etymology
蝶 combines 虫 (insect) with 枼, which likely contributes the sound and may have originally depicted thin, leaf-like objects, fitting the butterfly's delicate wings.
Meaning mnemonic
The insect radical 虫 on the left pairs with 枼, which looks like a leaf with a tree 木 and a world 世 of veins. Picture a butterfly resting on a leaf, its wings blending with the intricate pattern.
Reading mnemonic
For チョウ, imagine a butterfly named Chou fluttering through a garden: Chou -> チョウ, and the butterfly dances among the leaves.