蝼蚁 (lóu yǐ) — nobodies; insignificant people or things; mole crickets and ants (literal meaning)

Definition

Literally 'mole crickets and ants' (tiny, lowly creatures), used figuratively to mean 'nobodies' — people regarded as insignificant. Strongly贬义; similar to 草芥.

noun
nobodiesinsignificant people or thingsmole crickets and ants (literal meaning)
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • ，蝼蚁。
    Zài lì shǐ de hóng liú zhōng, lóu yǐ de mìng yùn wēi bù zú dào.
    In the torrent of history, the fate of nobodies is insignificant.
  • 蝼蚁，？
    lóu yǐ Shàng qiě tān shēng, hé kuàng rén ne?
    Even the lowly ant clings to life, let alone humans?
  • ，蝼蚁。
    Tā zì shì wéi yīng xióng, dàn zài duì shǒu yǎn zhōng bú guò shì yí gè lóu yǐ.
    He sees himself as a hero, but in his opponent's eyes he is just a nobody.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

蝼lóumole cricket
蚁yǐant

蝼 names a mole cricket and 蚁 names an ant, so the pair refers to tiny creatures and then to nobodies.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
虫虫chónginsect
Sound part声符shēngfú
娄
娄lóu蝼lóu
Same sound today

In 蝼, the left part 虫 shows an insect, and the right part 娄 gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 蟻; 蚁 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
虫虫chónginsect
Sound part声符shēngfú
義
義yì蟻yǐ
Same sound today

The traditional form 蟻 pairs 虫 (insect) with 義 as a sound part; the simplified 蚁 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 蚁 →

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