甲蟲 / 甲虫
jiǎchóng
The English word beetle is translated into Chinese as 甲蟲 / 甲虫 (jiǎchóng). Wiktionary also lists 甲殼蟲 / 甲壳虫 (jiǎqiàochóng, jiǎkéchóng).
Meaning: insect (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 甲蟲 / 甲虫 | jiǎchóng |
| 甲殼蟲 / 甲壳虫 | jiǎqiàochóng, jiǎkéchóng |
The word refers to the insect known as a beetle. In informal contexts, the general term 虫子 can be used to mean a bug or insect, which may specifically refer to a beetle depending on the context.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 甲蟲 is composed of 甲 (shell/armor) and 蟲 (insect/bug).
Which one should you use?
While 甲蟲 is the general term for a beetle, 甲殼蟲 specifically emphasizes the shell or carapace aspect of the insect.
How do you pronounce it?
jiǎchóng
Did you know?
- The character 甲 (armor) used in 甲蟲 is the same character used to describe the 'first' or 'top' celestial stem in the traditional Chinese calendar system.
- While a beetle is a 甲蟲, the word 蟲 (insect/worm) is also used in Chinese to describe certain types of 'cankers' or 'bugs' in a person's character or even as a metaphor for a 'nuisance' in social settings.
- The component 蟲 is a pictograph that historically resembled a creature with many legs, which explains why it is used as a radical in hundreds of other characters related to various creepy-crawlies.
Example sentences for Chinese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beetle” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
