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虫

虫 — insect, bug, temper

Learn the correct stroke order for 虫 (insect), a 6-stroke kanji.

JLPT N2Grade 16 strokes

Stroke Order

123456
Stroke 0 / 6
On'yomi (音読み)チュウchuu、キki
Kun'yomi (訓読み)むしmushi
Strokes6
Radical虫
Frequency#1351
Meaningsinsect, bug, temper

Step-by-Step Diagram

1
2
3
4
5
6

Try Writing It

Practice writing each stroke in the correct order and direction. Start from the green dot.

Draw stroke 1 of 6 — start from the green dot

Common Words

害虫がいちゅうharmful insect; noxious insect; pestnoun
昆虫こんちゅうinsect; bugnoun
弱虫よわむしcoward; weakling; scaredy catnoun
毛虫けむしhairy caterpillar; woolly bearnoun
幼虫ようちゅうlarva; grub; maggotnoun
虫歯むしばtooth decay; decayed tooth; dental cavitynoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 虫 (insect) is taught in grade 1 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N2 level. It has 6 strokes with radical 虫.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 虫 is #1351, making it a moderately common kanji.

Example Words in Context

害虫がいちゅう — harmful insect; noxious insect; pest
昆虫こんちゅう — insect; bug
弱虫よわむし — coward; weakling; scaredy cat

Practice Sheet

Trace then write on your own. Print this row as a PDF practice sheet.

Related Kanji

Same radical (虫)

虹rainbow蚊mosquito蚕silkworm蛇snake蛍lightning-bug蛮barbarian蜂bee蜜honey

Same reading

季seasons希hope仲go-between駐stop-over柱pillar祈pray肌texture机desk

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 虫 have?

The kanji 虫 (insect) has 6 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 虫?

虫 follows the standard Japanese stroke order as taught in schools. Use the step-by-step diagram or the "Try Writing" tool above to practice each stroke in sequence.

What does 虫 mean?

虫 means: insect, bug, temper. On'yomi readings: チュウ, キ. Kun'yomi readings: むし.

What JLPT level is 虫?

虫 is a JLPT N2 kanji. This is an advanced kanji.