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Kanji Detail for 蛍 - "firefly, glowworm"

蛍

  • Meaning

    蛍 means "firefly, glowworm."

    1. Firefly - An insect that produces light.

    2. Glowworm - A luminescent beetle.

  • Words using 蛍

    • 蛍光灯 けいこうとう Listen fluorescent lamp; fluorescent light; person who is slow to react

  • Origin of 蛍

    The traditional form 螢 puts 𤇾 — two fires over a cover, a glimmer of light, which also lends the reading kei — above 虫, the insect: the bug that carries its own light. Postwar Japan adopted the popular abbreviation that writes those fires as a small crown, giving 蛍 — the same swap as 榮→栄 and 勞→労.

    How to remember it: An insect 虫 wearing fire above it — the firefly.

    Sources: en.wiktionary.org · mojinavi.com

  • Tattoo check: 蛍

    • Verified meaning: firefly, glowworm
    • Official Jōyō kanji — a standard character every Japanese reader recognises
    • Used in real Japanese given names (read けい, ほたる)

    A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.

  • Name readings of 蛍

    Given names 蛍(けい)Listen 蛍(ほたる)Listen

  • Compare with other kanji that mean the same thing:

  • Dictionary Citations

    The meaning above is based on the following sources:

    KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary

    lightning-bug; firefly

    Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters

    glow-worm, luminous insect

    CC-CEDICT A Chinese-English dictionary

    Japanese variant of 螢|萤

  • Onyomi

    tip

    kei(ケイ) ケイ

  • Kunyomi

    tip

    hotaru(ほたる) ほたる

  • Strokes

    tip

    11 strokes

  • Radical

    tip

    虫 (mushi・mushihen)

  • Related Keywords

    firefly glowworm beetle bioluminescence bug glow insect lantern light luminescent nocturnal phosphorescence shine sparkle twinkle

Sentences including 蛍

  • It's a firefly.

  • It's a firefly.

  • Have you ever even seen a firefly?

  • Can I borrow your highlighter?

  • There were lots of fireflies.

  • The cave is full of fireflies.

  • Are there fireflies in your garden?

  • Harry's really slow to catch on.

  • Why do highlighter pens glow?

  • The firefly was eaten by a toad.

More kanji with the radical 虫 (mushi・mushihen)

See all kanji with this radical →

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