红蜘蛛 (hóng zhī zhū) — red spider mite; spider mite | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

red spider mitespider mite

Measure word · 只

Examples

红蜘蛛。
Zhè zhǒng hóng zhī zhū duì mián huā wēi hài hěn dà.
This kind of red spider mite is very harmful to cotton.
红蜘蛛。
Nóng mín yòng nóng yào lái xiāo miè hóng zhī zhū.
Farmers use pesticides to eliminate spider mites.
红蜘蛛。
hóng zhī zhū Shì yì zhǒng cháng jiàn de nóng yè hài chóng.
The red spider mite is a common agricultural pest.

Origin

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.

蜘蛛spider

蜘zhī蛛zhū

红 (red) joins with 蜘蛛 (spider) to name the tiny red mite.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 紅; 红 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìsilk

Sound part声符shēngfú

工

工gōng紅hóng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 紅 puts 糸 (silk) next to 工, which gives the sound; the simplified 红 is a later shorthand.

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

虫知蜘

Meaning part形符xíngfú

虫虫chónginsect; insect-like creature

Sound part声符shēngfú

知

Same sound today

蜘 uses 虫 for an insect-like creature and 知 for its sound.

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

虫朱蛛

Meaning part形符xíngfú

虫虫chónginsect

Sound part声符shēngfú

朱

朱zhū蛛zhū

Same sound today

蛛 pairs 虫 (insect) with 朱, which gives the sound; it grew from an older drawing of a spider.

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