虫 — JLPT N5 Kanji
虫 (チュウ/むし): insect; bug; worm. JLPT N5 essential kanji.
虫
JLPT Level: N5 | Strokes: 6 | Radical: 虫 (insect)
Readings
| Type | Reading | Romaji | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-yomi | チュウ | chuu | insect in compounds |
| Kun-yomi | むし | mushi | insect, bug, worm |
Meanings
- Insect, bug
- Worm, creepy-crawly
- (Broadly) any small creature
Vocabulary
| Word | Reading | Romaji | English | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 虫 | むし | mushi | insect, bug | N5 |
| 毛虫 | けむし | kemushi | caterpillar | N4 |
| 虫歯 | むしば | mushiba | cavity, tooth decay | N4 |
| 害虫 | がいちゅう | gaichuu | pest, harmful insect | N3 |
| 蛍 | ほたる | hotaru | firefly | N4 |
Stroke Order
- Top mouth-like shape: horizontal and vertical strokes 2-4. Middle: box structure (口-like)
- Short horizontal stroke below
- Bottom dot stroke
Memory Aid
虫 looks like a coiled snake or worm — the squiggly body of an insect or worm curled up. The original character depicted a coiled snake, and the meaning expanded to include all insects and small creatures.
Common Confusion
虫 (insect) is the radical for insect-related kanji: 蝶 (butterfly), 蟻 (ant), 蚊 (mosquito). Recognizing 虫 helps with many nature vocabulary items at higher levels.