Keyword
insect
Info
FrequencyTop 900-1000
Type
Kyōiku (1st grade) 
?
Shinjitai ?
KankenLevel 10
Heisig556
Old form
Readings
むし
(82%)
Composed of
mouth
arm of a bodybuilder
Mnemonic

A pictograph of an arm of a bodybuilder being bitten by an insect.

Used in kanji (132 in total)
strong
wind
touch
make noise
Used in vocabulary (522 in total)
insect; bug; worm; roundworm; one's emotions; one's feelings; nervousness
crybaby; blubberer
worm; insect
coward; weakling; scaredy cat; wimp; sissy
hornworm (caterpillar of a hawk moth); (hairless) caterpillar
biting louse (any louse of order Mallophaga); small winged insect (esp. a flying ant or termite)
harmful insect; noxious insect; vermin; pest
bitter-tasting bug
cavity; tooth decay; decayed tooth; dental caries
sour (expression); (lit.) as if having swallowed a bitter bug
roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides); mawworm; (metaphor for) location of one's feelings or sentiments; (metaphor for) empty stomach; feeling of hunger
larva; grub; maggot
hairy caterpillar; woolly bear; pest; nudnik (nudnick)
faint breath; dying whisper; at death's door
undesirable lover (boyfriend, girlfriend); passion; temper; irritability
someone who gets in the way without serving any useful purpose; fly in the ointment; buttinsky; third wheel
singing of insects (esp. in autumn); sound of insects
calls and sounds made by insects
worm-eaten; moth-eaten; holes eaten in clothing, leaves, etc. by caterpillars, moths, etc.; leaf warbler (any bird of genus Phylloscopus); chiffchaff
maggot; worm; scum
to be disgusted; to be repulsed; to get the creeps
poisonous insect
insecticide; insect repellent
rhinoceros beetle (esp. the Japanese rhinoceros beetle, Trypoxylus dichotomus)
insecticide; pesticide
selfish; asking too much
bell cricket (Meloimorpha japonicus); (arch.) pine cricket (Xenogryllus marmoratus)
imago; adult (insect)
maggot; worm; scum
to be disgusted; to be repulsed; to get the creeps
magnifying glass; wrestler of the lowest rank
insectivorous plants; carnivorous plants
athlete's foot; water boatman (esp. species Hesperocorixa distanti); Asellus hilgendorfi (species of aquatic sowbug)
snake in one's bosom; treacherous friend
iridescent colour; equivocal (reply, statement, etc.); ambiguous; vague
sour (expression); (lit.) as if having swallowed a bitter bug
insecticide; insect repellent
bookworm; bibliophile; bibliophage
to become verminous; to be infested with insects; to begin to keep bad company; to have an (unfavorable, unfavourable) lover
rushing to one's doom; (like a) moth flying into the flame
insect catching; bug catching
insect cage
pest extermination; pest control
small insect; midge; vermicule
bagworm; bagworm moth
insect bite; bug bite; sting
sour (expression); (lit.) as if having swallowed a bitter bug
selfish; asking too much
cabbageworm (caterpillar of the cabbage white butterfly)
butterfly net; net for catching insects
money loser; high-cost, low-return project
insect cage
scarabaeid beetle grub; any insect (or worm, etc.) that lives in soil
to control one's temper
Noctiluca scintillans (luminescent species of dinoflagellate)
ladybug (Harmonia axyridis); ladybird
(for one's stomach) to rumble
(for one's stomach) to rumble
airing of clothes, hanging scrolls, etc. (to prevent damage from insects and mould)
worms and insects
aphid; plant louse; cockroach; Japanese house bat (Pipistrellus abramus); hanger-on; parasite
jewel beetle (esp. Chrysochroa fulgidissima); buprestid
maggot; worm; scum
rhinoceros beetle (esp. the Japanese rhinoceros beetle, Trypoxylus dichotomus)
killing insects or pests
pine cricket (Xenogryllus marmoratus); (arch.) bell cricket (Meloimorpha japonicus)
dung beetle; gold beetle; goldbug; maggots in faeces (feces)
bed bug (Cimex lectularius); bedbug
disliking; having an antipathy to
innocent-looking; looking as though one wouldn't hurt a fly; looking as though butter would not melt in one's mouth
to forebode; to have a presentiment
to be disgusted; to be repulsed; to get the creeps
to become verminous; to be infested with insects; to begin to keep bad company; to have an (unfavorable, unfavourable) lover
useful insect
caterpillar fungus (esp. Cordyceps sinensis)
protection from insects; insect repellence
(vermiform) appendix
inchworm; measuring worm; looper (caterpillar)
ladybug (Harmonia axyridis); ladybird
heartburn; strong sense of disgust
cannot contain one's anger; can't contain myself; staying angry
insect damage
inchworm; measuring worm; looper (caterpillar)
Insecta; the insects
some prefer nettles; there's no accounting for taste; every man to his taste
roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides); mawworm; intestinal worm
insect bite; bug bite; sting
selfish; asking too much
(insect) pest; insect carrying disease germs; insect causing damage to crops
heartburn; strong sense of disgust
pillbug; pill bug; woodlouse; sowbug; sow bug; slater
rhinoceros beetle (esp. the Japanese rhinoceros beetle, Trypoxylus dichotomus)
deworming medicine; anthelmintic
pin (esp. for mounting insects); setting pin
summer insect; summer insects
scarabaeid beetle; Mimela splendens (metallic-green scarabaeid beetle)
worm-eaten; moth-eaten; holes eaten in clothing, leaves, etc. by caterpillars, moths, etc.; leaf warbler (any bird of genus Phylloscopus); chiffchaff
to be itching to do something
magnifying glass; wrestler of the lowest rank
insect catching; bug catching
entomophagy; insect eating
bur (prickly seeds or seedheads that stick to fur and clothes); burr
cannot contain one's anger; can't contain myself; staying angry
flies that appear in Tohoku and Hokkaido in late autumn or early winter (esp. the woolly apple aphid); flies that appear above fallen snow in the early spring (esp. certain species of small winter stonefly and true crane fly)
wharf roach (species of isopod closely related to the sea slater; Ligia exotica)
tread on a worm and it will turn; even a tiny bug will defend itself; even the weakest and smallest beings have their own wills, so do not make light of them
spermatozoon; sperm
hornworm (caterpillar of a hawk moth); (hairless) caterpillar
crybaby; blubberer
magnifying glass; wrestler of the lowest rank
roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides); mawworm; intestinal worm
worm; insect
insect net; butterfly net
sour (expression); (lit.) as if having swallowed a bitter bug
(crop) damage from disease and harmful insects
workaholic; person who is totally devoted to his work
entomology; study of insects
peanut worm (any worm of phylum Sipuncula)
aquatic insect larva (esp. of caddisflies, mayflies, etc.)
caterpillar (esp. hairless); person with scanty supply of clothes
grasshopper; locust (of superfamily Acridoidea)
worm; helminth
torch procession to drive away crop-eating insects
butterfly net
kanji "insect" radical at left
nervous weakness
parasitic disease; vermination
blood fluke (any fluke of family Schistosomatidae); schistosome
insect egg; insect eggs; parasite egg; parasite eggs
malaria-causing protozoan (i.e. plasmodium)
insects and fish
Mecopoda nipponensis (species of katydid)
wood louse; wood lice; slater
convulsions (in a child); nervousness; short-temperedness; bug thought to cause children's diseases
convulsions (in a child); nervousness; short-temperedness; bug thought to cause children's diseases
insect radical; worm radical
hellgrammite (larva of dobsonfly species Protohermes grandis)
pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis); threadworm
springtail (wingless insect of the order Collembola)
trematode (i.e. a fluke)
moss animal (any animal of phylum Bryozoa)
Dalmatian chrysanthemum (Tanacetum cinerariifolium); Dalmatian pyrethrum; Dalmatian pellitory
cecidium; gall
appendectomy; appendisectomy; appendicectomy
Wuchereria bancrofti (species of filaria)
pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis); threadworm
bur (prickly seeds or seedheads that stick to fur and clothes); burr
parasitology; helminthology
shipworm (esp. naval shipworm, Teredo navalis); teredo
harvestman; daddy longlegs (arachnid of order Opiliones)
exterminating insects; pest control; deinsectization
cestode; tapeworm
foraminifer; foraminiferan
to have a stomach ache; to get on one's nerves; to cause offence
beetles; coleopterans; coleoptera
window with an ultra-fine lattice (often on upper floors of traditional buildings, e.g. Kyoto townhouses)
leaf insect (esp. species Phyllium pulchrifolium)
scarabaeid beetle; Mimela splendens (metallic-green scarabaeid beetle)
maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais)
longhorn beetle grub
chigger; jigger; harvest mite (any mite of family Trombiculidae)
Dalmatian chrysanthemum (Tanacetum cinerariifolium); Dalmatian pyrethrum; Dalmatian pellitory
Trichinella spiralis; pork worm
children's medicine for nervousness
pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis); threadworm
gypsy rose (Scabiosa japonica); gipsy rose; scabiosa
New World hookworm (Necator americanus)
long-horned beetle
cecidium; gall
insecticide; bug repellent
cestode; tapeworm
entomophilous flower
cannot contain one's anger; can't contain myself; staying angry
dobsonfly or stonefly larva
Mecopoda nipponensis (species of katydid)
Sparganum proliferum (species of worm)
aphid; plant louse; cockroach; Japanese house bat (Pipistrellus abramus); hanger-on; parasite
cysticercosis; measles (in cattle, etc.)
light trap; electric insect killer; bug zapper
psocid (any insect of order Psocoptera, which includes booklice)
Oriental blood fluke (Schistosoma japonicum)
bloodworm (Halla okadai, species of eunicid worm used as fishing bait); red mite (Trombicula akamushi); chigger mite; harvest mite
ringworm (of the body); tinea corporis
ground beetle; carabid (esp. of subfamily Carabinae); (arch.) millipede
mushi-ken; Japanese rock-paper-scissors variant, in which the "frog", "snake" and "slug" are represented by the thumb, forefinger and little finger respectively
ascariasis; roundworm disease
some prefer nettles; there's no accounting for taste; every man to his taste
insect cage
seven-spot ladybird; seven-spotted ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata)
diligent student; drudge; swot
rhinoceros beetle (esp. the Japanese rhinoceros beetle, Trypoxylus dichotomus)
to sacrifice something small in order to save something great; to lose a leg to save one's life; to kill a small bug and help a large one
parasitosis; parasitic disease; vermination; helminthiasis
Insecta (class comprising the insects)
euglena (freshwater flagellate)
pyralid larva; borer
shield bug; stink bug
trematodes (i.e. flukes)
ringworm (of the groin); jock itch; tinea cruris
hookworm disease; ancylostomiasis; ankylostomiasis; uncinariasis
first spring thunderstorm of the year
vermiform process; vermiform appendix
to be worm-eaten; to be eaten by worms; to affect adversely; to spoil; to ruin
scrub typhus; tsutsugamushi disease
incantation to rid a child of insects traditionally believed to cause disease; charm to cure colic, tantrums, etc.
anthelmintic; vermifuge; vermicide; insect repellent
to sacrifice something small in order to save something great; to lose a leg to save one's life; (lit.) to kill a small bug and save a large one
gall (abnormal plant growth formed by insects)
chrysalis of a swallowtail butterfly (esp. of species Atrophaneura alcinous)
pork tapeworm (Taenia solium)
ladybug (Harmonia axyridis); ladybird
sacrifice something small in order to save something great; lose a leg to save one's life; (lit.) to let a large bug live and kill a small one
flagellates; mastigophorans
someone who gets in the way without serving any useful purpose; fly in the ointment; buttinsky; third wheel
tree wax; insect wax; Chinese wax
aphid; plant louse; plant lice
bur (prickly seeds or seedheads that stick to fur and clothes); burr
horse botfly larva
Marphysa sanguinea (species of eunicid worm)
carrion beetle (any beetle of family Silphidae, incl. burying beetles)
itch mite (Sarcoptes scabiei)
insect fighting; bug fighting
stomach pain due to worms
jewel beetle (esp. Chrysochroa fulgidissima); buprestid
walking stick (any insect of order Phasmatodea); walkingstick; stick insect; leaf insect
click beetle; skipjack (beetle of family Elateridae)
leaf beetle (of family Chrysomelidae)
ground beetle; carabid (esp. of superfamily Caraboidea, but excluding subfamily Carabinae); Anisodactylus signatus (species of ground beetle)
Paramecium spp. (esp. Paramecium caudatum)
long-horned beetle
cochineal insect (Dactylopius coccus)
dracunculiasis; Guinea worm disease; Medina worm disease
convulsions (in a child); nervousness; short-temperedness; bug thought to cause children's diseases
hunchback; humpback; crookback
froghopper (any insect of family Cercopidea); spittlebug
aphid; plant louse; cockroach; Japanese house bat (Pipistrellus abramus); hanger-on; parasite
stinky bug (esp. the bombardier beetle); stink bug
ground beetle; carabid (esp. of subfamily Carabinae); (arch.) millipede
ranchu; variety of goldfish
schistosomiasis japonica (form of bilharzia caused by the Oriental blood fluke Schistosoma japonicum)
flagellate; mastigophoran
bagworm; bagworm moth
heartburn; strong sense of disgust
shield bug; stink bug
shield bug; stink bug
water bear; tardigrades
ground beetle; carabid (esp. of superfamily Caraboidea, but excluding subfamily Carabinae); Anisodactylus signatus (species of ground beetle)
ground beetle; carabid (esp. of superfamily Caraboidea, but excluding subfamily Carabinae); Anisodactylus signatus (species of ground beetle)
Lethocerus deyrollei (species of giant water bug)
some prefer nettles; there's no accounting for taste; every man to his taste
some prefer nettles; there's no accounting for taste; every man to his taste
migratory locust (Locusta migratoria)
weevil; snout beetle
plant hopper (any insect of family Delphacidae); leafhopper
seven-spot ladybird; seven-spotted ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata)
butterfly net
any horsehair worm of class Gordioidea; gordian worm (of class Gordioidea); hair worm (of class Gordioidea); wireworm (click beetle larva)
pyralid larva; borer
leaf beetle (of family Chrysomelidae)
assassin bug (any insect of family Reduviidae)
cecidium; gall
click beetle; skipjack (beetle of family Elateridae)
click beetle; skipjack (beetle of family Elateridae)
click beetle; skipjack (beetle of family Elateridae)
Dorcus rectus (species of stag beetle)
springtail (wingless insect of the order Collembola)
psocid (any insect of order Psocoptera, which includes booklice)
sawtooth stag beetle (Prosopocoilus inclinatus); saw stag beetle
sun spider (any arachnid of order Solifugae); wind scorpion; camel spider; solpugid
smaller longheaded locust (Atractomorpha lata)
concave land hermit crab (Coenobita cavipes)
to have a stomach ache; to get on one's nerves; to cause offence
caddis worm; caddis-worm (caddisfly larva)
rhizocephala (parasitic barnacles)
Pheropsophus jessoensis (species of bombardier beetle)
Pheropsophus jessoensis (species of bombardier beetle)
locust swarming; locust swarm; (swarming) locusts
Yanbaru long-armed scarab beetle (Cheirotonus jambar)
Sparganum proliferum (species of worm)
carpet beetle (Anthrenus verbasci)
cutworm; army worm
handsome fungus beetle (any beetle of family Endomychidae); 28-spotted ladybird (Epilachna vigintioctopunctata)
bark beetle (Scolytidae spp.); gribble (Limnoria lignorum)
bark beetle (Scolytidae spp.); gribble (Limnoria lignorum)
bark beetle (Scolytidae spp.); gribble (Limnoria lignorum)
cottony cushion scale (species of scale insect, Icerya purchasi)
common pill bug (Armadillidium vulgare)
ribbon worm (any worm of phylum Nemertea)
bombardier beetle (esp. species Pheropsophus jessoensis); stink bug
bombardier beetle (esp. species Pheropsophus jessoensis); stink bug
bombardier beetle (esp. species Pheropsophus jessoensis); stink bug
Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis); Halloween beetle; harlequin ladybird
chrysalis of a swallowtail butterfly (esp. of species Atrophaneura alcinous)
Chinese wax scale insect (Ericerus pela)
Chinese wax scale insect (Ericerus pela)
Chinese wax scale insect (Ericerus pela)
Chinese wax scale insect (Ericerus pela)
Chinese wax scale insect (Ericerus pela)
Chinese wax scale insect (Ericerus pela)
Chinese wax scale insect (Ericerus pela)
groundhopper (esp. species Tetrix japonica)
gall (abnormal plant growth formed by insects)
Notonecta triguttata (species of backswimmer)
bell animalcule (insect)
water scavenger beetles (Hydrophilidae family)
acorn worm (any hemichordate of class Enteropneusta)
pseudoscorpion (any arachnid of order Pseudoscorpionida); false scorpion
28-spotted ladybird (Epilachna vigintioctopunctata)
insects harmful to pine trees
robber fly (any fly of family Asilidae)
robber fly (any fly of family Asilidae)
robber fly (any fly of family Asilidae)
bur (prickly seeds or seedheads that stick to fur and clothes); burr
stinky bug (esp. the bombardier beetle); stink bug
tree wax; insect wax; Chinese wax
Coleoptera (the order of insects containing beetles)
Chloeia flava (species of bristle worm)
pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus)
pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus)
bombardier beetle (esp. species Pheropsophus jessoensis); stink bug
Giardia lamblia; protozoan parasite of the small intestine that causes giardiasis
pupa; chrysalis
insect peddler (esp. fireflies and crickets)
children's medicine for nervousness; snack for an empty stomach
devotee of the arts
Chinese liver fluke (Clonorchis sinensis); Oriental liver fluke
dragonfly naiad (nymph)
echinococcosis; hydatid disease
male Oriental longheaded locust (Acrida cinerea); Gonista bicolor (species of grasshopper resembling the Oriental longheaded locust)
nymph (immature form of an insect)
true bristletail (any insect of order Thysanura, esp. of family Lepismatidae)
true bristletail (any insect of order Thysanura, esp. of family Lepismatidae)
insect hormone (i.e. ecdysone)
striped stem borer larva
striped stem borer larva
thorny-headed worm (any parasitic worm of phylum Acanthocephala)
nematomorph; horsehair worm; gordian worm; hair worm (any of the parasitic nematode-like worms of phylum Nematomorpha)
apterygotes (wingless insects)
apterygote (wingless insect)
pterygote (winged insect)
hairy caterpillar
Hexacentrus japonicus (species of katydid); Hexacentrus unicolor (species of katydid)
lung fluke (Paragonimus westermani)
schistosomiasis japonica (form of bilharzia caused by the Oriental blood fluke Schistosoma japonicum)
Metagonimus yokogawai (species of intestinal fluke)
rice grasshopper (of genus Oxya)
valve rubber
Protura (order of wingless insects)
electric bug killer; insectocutor; insect-o-cutor
xenoturbellan (either of two species of worm-like basal deuterostomes)
sacrifice something small in order to save something great; lose a leg to save one's life; (lit.) let a large bug live and kill a small one
mythical spirit residing in a person's body that generates a desire to drink (also said to turn water into alcohol)
sheep tapeworm (Moniezia expansa)
adult and larval stages (e.g. of an insect)
insectivorous; entomophagous
trichinosis; trichinelliasis; trichinella infection
acanthocephalans; thorny-headed worms
someone who curls up under a kotatsu all winter; kotatsu bug; kotatsu snail
someone who curls up under a kotatsu all winter; kotatsu bug; kotatsu snail
insect net; mosquito net
Choanoflagellatea (class of flagellate eukaryotes closely related to animals)
Choanozoa (phylum of protists closer to animals than to fungi)
flatworm; flat worm; flat bark beetle
flatworm; flat worm; flat bark beetle
Xenoturbella (genus of worm-like basal deuterostomes)
Xenoturbellidae (family of worm-like basal deuterostomes)
Xenoturbellida (phylum of worm-like basal deuterostomes)
Anthozoa (class of cnidarians)
codling moth larva; any moth whose larvae feed on fruit
codling moth larva; any moth whose larvae feed on fruit
Bothrogonia ferruginea (species of leafhopper)
Wilson's warbler (Cardellina pusilla); Wilson's blackcap
mushifuda; stripped hanafuda deck consisting of 40 cards
pinworm infection; enterobiasis
pinworm infection; enterobiasis
Guinea worm disease; dracunculiasis
Sick Girl (Masters of Horror)
ghost walker (beetle) (Mormolyce phyllodes); violin beetle
willow-leafed magnolia (Magnolia salicifolia); anise magnolia
velvet worm (Onychophora)
cucurbit leaf beetle (Aulacophora femoralis)
cucurbit leaf beetle (Aulacophora femoralis)
Donacia provostii (species of leaf beetle)
Donacia provostii (species of leaf beetle)
leaf beetle (of subfamily Donaciinae)
Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata)
adzuki bean weevil (Callosobruchus chinensis)
sweet potato weevil (Cylas formicarius)
rice plant weevil (Echinocnemus squameus)
rice water weevil (Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus)
chestnut weevil (Curculio dentipes)
bean weevil (any leaf beetle of subfamily Bruchinae)
Japanese giant weevil (Sipalinus gigas)
true weevil (any weevil of family Curculionidae)
eastern crowned warbler (Phylloscopus coronatus)
American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)
rotifers; rotatoria
old world hookworm (Ancylostoma duodenale)
clearwing moth larva
clearwing moth larva
clearwing moth larva
beach flea (any amphipod of family Talitridae); sand flea; sand hopper
garden springtail (Bourletiella hortensis)
scorpionfly (esp. the Japanese scorpionfly, Panorpa japonica); scorpion fly
schizomid (any arachnid of order Schizomida)
lace bug (any insect of family Tingidae)
inocelliid snakefly (any insect of family Inocelliidae)
bryozoans (animals of phylum Bryozoa)
phoronid (any wormlike animal of phylum Phoronida)
tongue worm (any worm of phylum Pentastomida)
beard worm (any worm of phylum Pogonophora)
vestimentiferan (any tube worm of order Vestimentifera)
arrow worm (any worm of phylum Chaetognatha)
viburnum; Viburnum furcatum
proturan (any wingless insect of order Protura)
roundnose flounder (Eopsetta grigorjewi)
bombardier beetle (any insect of subfamily Brachininae)
finely-striate buccinum (species of whelk, Buccinum striatissimum)
dog tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum); cucumber tapeworm; double-pore tapeworm
Uperotus clava (species of shipworm)
superb blue-wren (Malurus cyaneus); superb fairywren; blue wren
Persian carpet flatworm (Pseudobiceros bedfordi); Bedford's flatworm
Ijima's leaf warbler (Phylloscopus ijimae); Izu leaf warbler, Ijima's willow warbler; Ijima's warbler
phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae)
scrub typhus mite (Leptotrombidium akamushi)
whiteworm lichen (Thamnolia vermicularis)
ghost walker (beetle) (Mormolyce phyllodes); violin beetle
Liparis makinoana (species of miniature orchid)
rice stink-bug (Lagynotomus elongatus)
black carpet beetle (Attagenus unicolor japonicus)
assassin bug (Velinus nodipes)
wooly apple aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum)
Examples (78 in total)
There are insects everywhere.
If you open the window, bugs will come in.
Are you afraid of bugs?