Explore 虫 in words about insects and dental health. Connect each reading to a whole word and context.
The idea
虫 has six strokes; follow the linked diagram. 虫 alone is むし; 昆虫 is こんちゅう, while 虫歯 is むしば. Learn each reading with its word.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 虫 | むし | insect |
| 昆虫 | こんちゅう | insect |
| 虫歯 | むしば | cavity |
Examples
- 葉の上に虫がいます。There is an insect on the leaf.
- 庭で虫を観察しました。I watched insects in the garden.
- この本は昆虫の生活を説明しています。This book explains the lives of insects.
- 虫歯があるので歯医者に行きました。I went to the dentist because I had a cavity.
- 夜に虫の声を聞きました。I heard insect sounds at night.
- 弟は昆虫採集が好きです。My younger brother likes insect collecting.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
虫歯 means a cavity, not an insect living in a tooth. 虫 and 中 look similar, but 虫 has an extra lower stroke and dot.
Try it yourself
Write the reading of 虫 in hiragana.
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むし
虫 is むし: an insect. In the first example one is on a leaf.
Write the reading of 昆虫 in hiragana.
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こんちゅう
昆虫 is こんちゅう: insects. The compound uses ちゅう rather than むし.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿歯（むしば）［虫／中］.
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虫
虫 completes 虫歯（むしば）, a cavity; the word does not mean a literal insect.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Write the reading of 虫 in hiragana.
Write the reading of 昆虫 in hiragana.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿歯（むしば）［虫／中］.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write 虫 using the diagram. Cover the table, read 虫 and 昆虫, and make a sentence with one.