Definitions

used in 蟋蟀[xī shuài]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "蟋" is a phonetic-semantic compound formed by the insect radical 虫 combined with the phonetic component 悉, which supplies its reading and situates it within the disyllabic word "蟋蟀" for the cricket insect. Its etymology stems from the need to capture the first syllable of this binome, with the radical clearly denoting its category as a creature, and it has remained semantically bound to this term without developing independent meaning. Over time, the character's structure and dedicated role have persisted unchanged, reflecting a consistent orthographic and lexical function within the language.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

秋天能听到蟀叫。

Qiūtiān néng tīng dào xīshuài jiào.

You can hear crickets chirping in autumn.

夜晚的草丛里蟀在鸣唱。

Yèwǎn de cǎocóng lǐ xīshuài zài míngchàng.

Crickets are singing in the grass at night.

那只蟀的叫声很清脆。

Nà zhī xīshuài de jiàoshēng hěn qīngcuì.

That cricket's chirp is very clear and crisp.

小男孩在院子里捉到了一只蟀。

Xiǎo nánhái zài yuànzi lǐ zhuō dào le yī zhī xīshuài.

The little boy caught a cricket in the yard.

蟀的鸣叫声是夏夜的交响乐。

Xīshuài de míngjiào shēng shì xià yè de jiāoxiǎngyuè.

The chirping of crickets is the symphony of a summer night.

他把蟀养在一个小竹笼里。

Tā bǎ xīshuài yǎng zài yī gè xiǎo zhú lóng lǐ.

He keeps the cricket in a small bamboo cage.

蟀的歌声勾起了我童年的回忆。

Xīshuài de gēshēng gōu qǐ le wǒ tóngnián de huíyì.

The cricket's song evokes memories of my childhood.

那微弱如蟀低鸣的声响渐渐消失了。

Nà wēiruò rú xīshuài dī míng de shēngxiǎng jiànjiàn xiāoshī le.

That faint sound, like the low chirp of a cricket, gradually faded away.

Components

Example Words