Definitions

cán (noun) silkworm

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The simplified character 蚕 combines the heaven component 天 above the insect radical 虫, visually suggesting a celestial insect. Its traditional form 蠶 is more complex, with the phonetic element 朁 positioned above two insect radicals, reinforcing its biological nature. This character specifically denotes the silkworm, the silk moth caterpillar cultivated for silk production in textile manufacturing. Its meaning remains focused on this economically significant insect, reflecting its important role in agriculture and commerce without acquiring additional metaphorical senses.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

宝宝吃桑叶。

Cán bǎobǎo chī sāngyè.

Silkworms eat mulberry leaves.

我养了一些

Wǒ yǎngle yīxiē cán.

I raised some silkworms.

丝非常柔软。

Cánsī fēicháng róuruǎn.

Silk is very soft.

春天是养的季节。

Chūntiān shì yǎng cán de jìjié.

Spring is the season for raising silkworms.

食现象在自然界很常见。

Cánshí xiànxiàng zài zìránjiè hěn chángjiàn.

The phenomenon of nibbling away is common in nature.

这些正在吐丝作茧。

Zhèxiē cán zhèngzài tǔ sī zuò jiǎn.

These silkworms are spinning silk to make cocoons.

古代中国以丝绸闻名,而丝绸源于

Gǔdài Zhōngguó yǐ sīchóu wénmíng, ér sīchóu yuán yú cán.

Ancient China was famous for silk, and silk comes from silkworms.

通过观察的生命周期,孩子们学到了自然知识。

Tōngguò guānchá cán de shēngmìng zhōuqī, háizimen xuédàole zìrán zhīshi.

By observing the life cycle of silkworms, children learned about nature.