蛾 (é) — moth | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

蛾 refers to the insect itself, used in formal or scientific writing. In everyday speech, it almost always appears as 蛾子, the colloquial 'moth'.

bound form

moth

Easily confused

。
Yì zhī é zi tíng zài qiáng shàng.
A moth is resting on the wall.
。
Xiǎo hái zi dōu pà é zi.
Children are all afraid of moths.
。
Zhè zhǒng é zi de chì bǎng hěn piào liang.
This kind of moth's wings are very beautiful.

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.

虫我蛾

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

我

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape of 蛾 combines 虫, an insect, with 我, which gives the sound.