蚓

yǐn

引 + 虫

Definitions

yǐn used in 蚯蚓[qiū yǐn]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 引 represents the sound.

Semantic: 虫 Phonetic: 引

About

The character 蚓 denotes the earthworm and almost always appears in the compound 蚯蚓. It is a phono-semantic compound: the semantic radical 虫 on the left, meaning 'insect' or 'worm', classifies it as a crawling creature, while the phonetic 引 on the right gives the pronunciation 'yǐn'. 引 also means 'to stretch' or 'draw', an apt metaphor for the earthworm's way of elongating and contracting to move through soil.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

花园里有很多蚯蚓。

Huāyuán lǐ yǒu hěn duō qiūyǐn.

There are many earthworms in the garden.

蚯蚓生活在土壤中。

Qiūyǐn shēnghuó zài tǔrǎng zhōng.

Earthworms live in the soil.

弟弟害怕蚯蚓。

Dìdi hàipà qiūyǐn.

My younger brother is afraid of earthworms.

蚯蚓能帮助松土。

Qiūyǐn néng bāngzhù sōng tǔ.

Earthworms can help loosen the soil.

下雨后，蚯蚓常常爬到路上。

Xià yǔ hòu, qiūyǐn chángcháng pá dào lù shàng.

After rain, earthworms often crawl onto the road.

蚯蚓的身体没有骨骼。

Qiūyǐn de shēntǐ méiyǒu gǔgé.

Earthworms' bodies have no bones.

农民喜欢蚯蚓，因为它们改善土壤。

Nóngmín xǐhuān qiūyǐn, yīnwèi tāmen gǎishàn tǔrǎng.

Farmers like earthworms because they improve the soil.

虽然蚯蚓看起来简单，但它们在生态系统中扮演重要角色。

Suīrán qiūyǐn kàn qǐlái jiǎndān, dàn tāmen zài shēngtài xìtǒng zhōng bànyǎn zhòngyào juésè.

Although earthworms look simple, they play an important role in the ecosystem.

Related Characters

Component: 引

Component: 虫

蚓