Meaning

Primary

Butterfly

Word Type

noun

Explanation

The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.

is a formal way to say butterfly. You may come across this in literature or more technical writing, like insect field guides or biology textbooks. It's also often used in compounds such as 蝶ネクタイ (bow tie) and 蝶結び (bow knot), or butterfly species names like 紋白蝶 (cabbage white butterfly).

Reading

ちょう
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

This has the same reading as the kanji you learned, meaning you know the reading!

Context

Context Sentences

一匹の蝶が花の上にとまった。

A butterfly landed on the flower.

庭で黄色いアゲハ蝶を見かけた。

I spotted a yellow swallowtail butterfly in the garden.

瓶の中の蝶は、外の光をじっと見つめているようだった。

The butterfly inside the bottle seemed to be staring intently at the light outside.

父は、毎日色の違う蝶ネクタイをしていた。

My father wore a different colored bow tie every day.

Kanji Composition