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Kotomora

蝶

butterfly

JLPTN1StatusJinmeiyōFrequencyTop 5,000Strokes15

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)

Explore all words using 蝶 →

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.