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蛺 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
蛺jiábutterfly, nymphalidx, 13 strokes, radical 虫
jiá(jia2)jia T2
  1. 1butterfly, nymphalid
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March 24, 2026

蛺jiá(jia2)

The character 蛺 (jiá) refers to a butterfly, specifically a type of nymphalid butterfly. It is often used in literary contexts or when discussing the beauty of nature, particularly in poetry and art, highlighting the delicate and graceful aspects of butterflies.

Strokes13Radical虫
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, butterflies are often associated with love and transformation, and they feature prominently in poetry and art, symbolizing beauty and change.

Memory tip

Imagine a butterfly flapping its wings, resembling the character 蛺. The left part '虫' (insect) is like the insect body, while the right part '家' evokes the idea of home, suggesting that butterflies often return to their favorite spots.

Meanings of 蛺

jiá(jia2)
1butterfly, nymphalid
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 蛺

蛺Simplified
13Strokes
虫Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 蛺

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Podcast: 蛺

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AI Study Notes for 蛺

Quick Contrast

蝶 (dié) - use 蛺 (jiá) when emphasizing a specific type of butterfly in literary contexts, while 蝶 (dié) is a more general term for butterfly.

Usage Notes

This character is rarely used in everyday conversation, so it's more appropriate for literary or scientific contexts. Be careful not to confuse it with the more common character for butterfly, which is '蝶' (dié).

HSK Study Tips

While 蛺 is not included in the HSK vocabulary, it can be connected to other HSK words related to nature and animals, such as '鸟' (niǎo - bird) and '虫' (chóng - insect). Focus on recognizing this character in reading rather than using it in speaking.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 蛺 with 蝶 due to their similar meanings. For example, saying '我看到一只蛺在花上' (I saw a jiá on the flower) would be incorrect if they mean to refer to a butterfly in general, as 蝶 would be more appropriate here.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 蛺

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Etymology of 蛺

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory hint

insect

Semantic (meaning)虫
+
Phonetic (sound)夾
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

蛺 = 虫 + 夾. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 蛺

IDS Structure⿰虫夾
蛺Full character
=
虫chong2
left
夾jia1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 蛺?

How to say butterfly, nymphalid in Chinese

“butterfly, nymphalid” in Chinese is蛺jiá

The character 蛺 (jiá) refers to a butterfly, specifically a type of nymphalid butterfly. It is often used in literary contexts or when discussing the beauty of nature, particularly in poetry and art, highlighting the delicate and graceful aspects of butterflies.

When to use 蛺

This character is rarely used in everyday conversation, so it's more appropriate for literary or scientific contexts. Be careful not to confuse it with the more common character for butterfly, which is '蝶' (dié).

蛺 or something close to it

蝶 (dié) - use 蛺 (jiá) when emphasizing a specific type of butterfly in literary contexts, while 蝶 (dié) is a more general term for butterfly.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 蛺 with 蝶 due to their similar meanings. For example, saying '我看到一只蛺在花上' (I saw a jiá on the flower) would be incorrect if they mean to refer to a butterfly in general, as 蝶 would be more appropriate here.

Write 蛺

蛺

Practice writing 蛺 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 蛺

Words containing this character2
蛱jiánymphalid蛺
蛱蝶nymphalid蛺蝶
Exercise 1 of 2

Characters with 蛺

What does 蛱 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 蛺

It is pronounced as 'jiá'.

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