About
The character for cicada, traditionally written as "蟬", structurally integrates the insect radical "虫" with the phonetic component "單", which historically conveyed the word's sound and perhaps subtly echoed the insect's incessant buzzing. This composition has firmly linked the character to the cicada since its early adoption, with the radical consistently signifying its entomological classification. The simplified form "蝉" maintains the insect radical but substitutes "單" with "单", a graphically abbreviated component that preserves the phonetic role while simplifying writing. Across its historical use, the character's fundamental meaning has remained centered on the cicada, though in literary contexts it has occasionally been employed in metaphorical extensions, drawing on the insect's molting cycle or brief adult life to convey ideas of renewal or impermanence.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
夏天能听到蝉鸣。
树上的蝉声很响亮。
我在树下发现一个蝉蜕。
这位运动员蝉联了冠军。
他用金蝉脱壳之计逃脱。
孩子们在公园里捉蝉。
这件纱衣薄如蝉翼。
蝉的幼虫要在地下生活多年。