Definitions

(bound form) clam; used in 蛤蚧[gé jiè]
used in 蛤蟆[há ma]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 蛤, structured with the radical 虫 denoting creatures and the phonetic component 合 indicating sound, originally referred specifically to clams or shellfish in early textual usage, its form consistently aligning with this zoological classification. Over time, its semantic application broadened to include certain amphibians, as seen in the compound 蛤蟆 for toads, while the original meaning remained stable in other contexts such as 蛤蜊 for clams, demonstrating a functional expansion that adapted to colloquial and literary needs without compromising the character's etymological construction.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

海滩上有蜊。

Hǎitān shàng yǒu gé lí.

There are clams on the beach.

蟆喜欢下雨天。

Há ma xǐhuān xià yǔ tiān.

Toads like rainy days.

妈妈煮了蜊汤。

Māma zhǔ le gé lí tāng.

Mom cooked clam soup.

弟弟害怕绿色的蟆。

Dìdi hàipà lǜsè de há ma.

Younger brother is afraid of green toads.

我们在市场买了新鲜蜊。

Wǒmen zài shìchǎng mǎi le xīnxiān gé lí.

We bought fresh clams at the market.

蟆的叫声在夜晚很响亮。

Há ma de jiào shēng zài yèwǎn hěn xiǎngliàng.

The croaking of toads is very loud at night.

厨师用蜊做了美味的意大利面。

Chúshī yòng gé lí zuò le měiwèi de Yìdàlì miàn.

The chef made delicious pasta with clams.

研究显示蜊对海洋生态系统很重要。

Yánjiū xiǎnshì gé lí duì hǎiyáng shēngtài xìtǒng hěn zhòngyào.

Research shows that clams are important to the marine ecosystem.