虫
The 虫 radical
Insect, bug
Memory hook
A wriggling worm
The 虫 radical (read chóng) means insect, bug. The HSK 3.0 data contains 18 characters and 39 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 虫 radical
Study this radical's 39 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 虫 radical
18 charactersThe free plan shows 9 characters per HSK level (14/18 characters of this radical).
HSK 1· 1 characters
HSK 1蛋
egg
HSK 2· 1 characters
HSK 2虽
although
HSK 4· 1 characters
HSK 4虫
bug, worm
HSK 5· 1 characters
HSK 5蛇
snake
HSK 6· 1 characters
HSK 6融
to dissolve; to melt
HSK 7-9· 9 characters
HSK 7-9虹
rainbow
虾
shrimp
蚀
to dim, to fade
蚊
mosquito
蛙
frog
蛮
quite, rather, fairly (used colloquially to emphasize an adjective or adverb)
蜀
the land of Shu (former name of the Sichuan region, China)
蜂
bee
蜜
honey
Vocabulary with the 虫 radical
39 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 虫 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (19/39 words of this radical).
egg (chicken egg)
although; even though
egg
insect, bug
snake
cake, cream cake
although
to integrate into, to merge into
to blend, to fuse
finance, banking
done for, ruined
pest; insect that harms crops and plants
rainbow
stupid, foolish
insect
sweet, happy
to do something superfluous, to bring trouble on oneself
fool; idiot
to corrode, to erode
Why learn vocabulary by the 虫 radical?
The 虫 radical hints at the meaning insect, bug. When you meet an unfamiliar character carrying it, you already know part of its meaning before reaching for a dictionary — which is why learners who know their radicals move faster.
How to study: read the memory hook, skim the 18 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 39 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.