蜓

tíng

廷 + 虫

Definitions

tíng (noun) dragonfly (as part of compound 蜻蜓)

Etymology

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

Semantic: 虫 Phonetic: 廷

About

蜓 is a phono-semantic compound. Its left component, the semantic radical 虫 (chóng), meaning insect or bug, places it in the taxonomic category of insects, reptiles, and similar small creatures. The right component, 廷 (tíng), meaning a royal court, provides the character's phonetic element. This character was created specifically for use with 蜻 (qīng) to form the word 蜻蜓 (qīngtíng), the standard term for dragonfly. As a bound morpheme in this compound, it lacks an independent meaning and is used solely to identify this insect.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

一只蜻蜓在飞。

Yī zhī qīngtíng zài fēi.

A dragonfly is flying.

湖面上有蜻蜓。

Hú miàn shàng yǒu qīngtíng.

There are dragonflies on the lake surface.

蜻蜓喜欢在水边栖息。

Qīngtíng xǐhuān zài shuǐ biān qīxī.

Dragonflies like to perch near water.

孩子们在捕捉蜻蜓。

Háizimen zài bǔzhuō qīngtíng.

The children are catching dragonflies.

蜻蜓的翅膀非常透明。

Qīngtíng de chìbǎng fēicháng tòumíng.

The dragonfly's wings are very transparent.

我看到一只红色的蜻蜓停在荷叶上。

Wǒ kàndào yī zhī hóngsè de qīngtíng tíng zài héyè shàng.

I saw a red dragonfly resting on a lotus leaf.

蜻蜓是益虫，它们能帮助消灭蚊子。

Qīngtíng shì yìchóng, tāmen néng bāngzhù xiāomiè wénzi.

Dragonflies are beneficial insects; they can help eliminate mosquitoes.

在夏天的傍晚，蜻蜓低飞往往预示着要下雨。

Zài xiàtiān de bàngwǎn, qīngtíng dī fēi wǎngwǎng yùshì zhe yào xià yǔ.

In summer evenings, dragonflies flying low often indicate that it is going to rain.

Related Characters

Component: 廷

Component: 虫

蜓