毛毛虫 (máo mao chóng) — caterpillar | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

caterpillar

Measure word · 条

毛毛虫。
Wǒ xiǎo shí hou zuì pà máo mao chóng.
I was most afraid of caterpillars when I was little.
，毛毛虫。
Chūn tiān lái le, shù shàng yǒu hěn duō máo mao chóng.
Spring has come, and there are many caterpillars on the tree.
毛毛虫。
máo mao chóng Zuì hòu huì biàn chéng měi lì de hú dié.
Caterpillars eventually turn into beautiful butterflies.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

毛毛fuzzy

重叠Reduplication

The 毛 suggests fuzz or hair, and 虫 denotes an insect, painting a fuzzy caterpillar.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

毛 is drawn as a feather or hair, with its strokes tracing the shape of the feather or hair.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

毛 is drawn as a feather or hair, with its strokes tracing the shape of the feather or hair.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 蟲; 虫 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 蟲 is the one the reference discusses; 虫 is also a traditional character on its own.

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