Word Detail

The Japanese word 蝶 ちょう means "butterfly". It refers to the beautiful flying insects known for their colorful wings and distinctive life cycle. These insects undergo metamorphosis, transforming from a caterpillar to a pupa (chrysalis), and finally to a 蝶.

⚫︎きれいな蝶 Translation: Beautiful butterfly ⚫︎蝶が花に止まっている Translation: A butterfly is resting on a flower. ⚫︎庭で沢山の蝶を見ました Translation: I saw many butterflies in the garden.

⚫︎ You can use 蝶 to talk about butterflies you see in nature, in pictures, or in any context where butterflies are relevant. ⚫︎ It is a common word, and can be used in both formal and informal situations.

⚫︎ The word 蝶 is typically written with the kanji 蝶. ⚫︎ The hiragana reading is ちょう. ⚫︎ It is not typically written in katakana. ⚫︎ There are no variations in okurigana.

There are no direct synonyms for the word 蝶 in common usage. The meaning is very specific.

There are no direct antonyms for the word 蝶. You might use general terms like "insect" or "creature" to talk about the opposite.

公園で子供たちが蝶を追いかけています。 ・Translation: The children are chasing butterflies in the park. ・Explanation: This sentence describes children interacting with butterflies in a park setting.

その蝶はとても珍しい種類です。 ・Translation: That butterfly is a very rare species. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the specific nature of a butterfly.

The kanji 蝶 is a phono-semantic compound. The left side (虫 - mushi) is the radical for "insect." The right side (枼 - you) is the phonetic component, indicating the sound.