蚁 yǐ ant
怎么记住“蚁”: 虫 insect + 义 right conduct = ant. The boy watches one tiny insect carry a crumb home to share, and his teacher calls it right conduct from a humble ant.
部件结构
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
蚁 = 虫 insect + 义 right conduct
- 虫 insect meaning
- 义 right conduct sound
The boy watches one tiny insect carry a crumb home to share, and his teacher calls it right conduct from a humble ant.
How it came to be
The insect gives the meaning and the sign for right conduct gives the sound.
用法
- Ant: bound in 蚂蚁 (mǎyǐ), the everyday word for ant.
- 蚁 rarely appears alone; it needs 蚂 as its partner.
- Symbolizes something tiny/numerous: 蚁民 = the common masses (lit. 'ant people').
- 热锅上的蚂蚁 (règuō shang de mǎyǐ) = ants on a hot pot: frantic with anxiety.