How to Write 蟪 (huì) — Meaning “Small cicada”

Imagine a tiny cicada (虫) sitting on a gift of kindness (惠) — because the small cicada's chirp is like a gentle present to summer evenings. The "hui" sound in 惠 matches the pinyin huì, helping you recall both the pronunciation and the meaning of a small, pleasant insect.

Pay special attention to the right side 惠: the top part is 韭 (leek) with a horizontal stroke, not two separate crosses. The bottom 心 (heart) must be written with a curved hook, not a straight line. Also, the left 虫 should be narrow and slightly taller than the right side to keep the character balanced.

蟪 (huì) means a small cicada, an insect that chirps in summer. 螃 (páng) is part of 螃蟹 (crab) and has a different right side (旁, páng), so it refers to a crustacean. 螅 (xī) appears in 水螅 (hydra) and uses 息 (xī) on the right, meaning a tiny aquatic animal. They all share the 虫 radical but have distinct meanings and pronunciations.

蟪 is rarely used alone in daily conversation; it appears mainly in classical literature or poetic phrases like 蟪蛄 (small cicada) and 蟪吟 (cicada chirping). Culturally, cicadas symbolize summer and renewal in Chinese tradition, and 蟪 specifically refers to the smaller, quieter type often mentioned in ancient poems.

Common words containing 蟪 include: 蟪蛄 (huì gū) — Small cicada; 鸣蟪 (míng huì) — Chirping small cicada; 蟪吟 (huì yín) — Chirping of cicadas.