About
The character "蟆", primarily encountered in the compound "蛤蟆" meaning toad or frog, originates from a formation common in Chinese character etymology, combining a semantic element with a phonetic one. Its traditional form, "蟇", integrates the "虫" radical, indicating a creature or insect, with the component "莫" serving to suggest its pronunciation. Over time, the phonetic element shifted to the more common "莫" in its simplified iteration, though the core structural principle remained intact. While its meaning has remained consistently tied to amphibians, specifically the toad, its independent usage is rare, as it almost always appears coupled with "蛤" to form the disyllabic word, reflecting a broader historical linguistic trend where many ancient monosyllabic terms evolved into modern bisyllabic compounds for clarity.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我看见一只蛤蟆。
蛤蟆在草地上跳。
小孩子害怕蛤蟆。
昨天我听到蛤蟆叫。
因为下雨，蛤蟆出来了。
蛤蟆比青蛙皮肤粗糙。
我看到蛤蟆跳进水里，然后消失了。
尽管蛤蟆外表丑陋，但它能捕捉害虫。