Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
蠛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
蠛mièsmall flyx, 20 strokes, radical 虫
蠛mièminute fliesunknown, 20 strokes, radical 虫
miè(mie4) T4
  1. 1small fly
  2. 2minute flies
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

蠛miè(mie4)

The character 蠛 (miè) refers to small flies or minute flies, often used in contexts related to insects or pests. It is not commonly used in everyday language, but may appear in specific discussions about entomology or agriculture.

Strokes20Radical虫
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, certain small flies are believed to have specific properties and uses, illustrating the significance of insects in Chinese culture and herbal practices.

Memory Tip

Imagine a tiny fly buzzing around your ear, making a 'miè' sound as it flits about. The character 蠛 has the insect radical 虫 (chóng), which symbolizes bugs or insects, helping you remember its meaning.

Meanings of 蠛

miè(mie4)
1small fly
2minute flies
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 蠛

蠛Simplified
20Strokes
虫Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 蠛

JasonAmy

Podcast: 蠛

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 蠛

Usage Notes

This character is relatively rare and might not be encountered frequently in casual conversation. Be cautious with pronunciation, as similar-sounding words could lead to misunderstandings. It's more common to use general terms for insects in everyday speech.

HSK Study Tips

While 蠛 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, studying it can enhance your understanding of specialized vocabulary related to nature and agriculture. Focus on the character's components to help remember its meaning.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 蠛 with more common insect-related words or mispronounce it as 'mie' instead of the correct 'miè'. Always remember to use the falling tone for clarity.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 蠛

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 蠛 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 蠛

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

insect

Semantic (meaning)虫
+
Phonetic (sound)蔑
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 蠛

  1. 1The meaning half虫 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half蔑 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayinsect
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 蠛? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 蠛?

Decomposition of 蠛

IDS Structure⿰虫蔑
蠛Full Character
=
虫chong2
left
蔑mie4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 蠛?

How to say small fly in Chinese

“small fly” in Chinese is蠛miè

The character 蠛 (miè) refers to small flies or minute flies, often used in contexts related to insects or pests. It is not commonly used in everyday language, but may appear in specific discussions about entomology or agriculture.

When to use 蠛

This character is relatively rare and might not be encountered frequently in casual conversation. Be cautious with pronunciation, as similar-sounding words could lead to misunderstandings. It's more common to use general terms for insects in everyday speech.

What learners get wrong

Learners might confuse 蠛 with more common insect-related words or mispronounce it as 'mie' instead of the correct 'miè'. Always remember to use the falling tone for clarity.

Write 蠛

蠛

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 蠛

Words Containing This Character1
蠛mièminute flies
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 蠛 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 蠛

No, 蠛 is a specific term for small flies and is not used in everyday language.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 蠛?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.