虫害 (chóng hài) — insect pest

Definition

虫害 means an 'infestation' or 'pest outbreak' — damage to crops caused by insects, usually treated as a collective, controllable problem. Often pairs with 控制, 防治, or 减少 rather than counting individual bugs.

noun
insect pest
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 虫害。
    Nóng mín men zhèng zài xiǎng bàn fǎ kòng zhì chóng hài.
    Farmers are trying to control insect pests.
  • 虫害，。
    Jīn nián de chóng hài tè bié yán zhòng, hěn duō zhuāng jia dōu shòu dào le yǐng xiǎng.
    This year's insect pests are especially severe; many crops have been affected.
  • 虫害。
    Shǐ yòng nóng yào kě yǐ yǒu xiào jiǎn shǎo chóng hài.
    Using pesticides can effectively reduce insect pests.

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.

虫chónginsect
害hàiharm

虫 points to insects, 害 to damage; together they describe harm from insects.

Characters in this word

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.

Open 虫 →

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

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丯
丯jiè害hài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

害 was borrowed purely for its sound. Its old picture, possibly a house rafter, is unrelated to harm.

Open 害 →

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