(wén) — mosquito (bound form, used in compounds)

Definition

蚊 is a bound form — it never stands alone; it only appears in compounds like 蚊子, 蚊香, and 蚊帐. The standalone word for 'mosquito' is 蚊子.

bound form
mosquito (bound form, used in compounds)

Examples

  • Xià tiān wǎn shàng zǒng shì yǒu hěn duō wén zi.
    There are always a lot of mosquitoes in summer evenings.
  • Wǒ shuì jiào qián diǎn le yì pán wén xiāng.
    I lit a mosquito coil before going to sleep.
  • Yòng wén zhàng kě yǐ fáng zhǐ bèi yǎo.
    Using a mosquito net can prevent being bitten.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
chónginsect
Sound part声符shēngfú
wénwén
Same sound today

蚊 pairs 虫 (insect) with 文, which gives the sound.

Appears in

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