How to Write 蛹 (yǒng) — Meaning “Pupa / Chrysalis”

Picture a silkworm (虫) wrapping itself in a small "cocoon" shaped like the right side 甬, which looks like a little house or tunnel. The right part 甬 even resembles a chrysalis hanging from a branch, helping you recall the meaning "pupa."

Pay attention to the left radical 虫: its bottom stroke (提) rises slightly and does not touch the right side. When writing the right part 甬, make sure the top 龴 (a downward hook) is short and the bottom 用 has balanced vertical lines; a common mistake is making the right side too wide.

蛹 means "pupa" and uses 甬 as its phonetic component, while 蚯 (qiū) means "earthworm" (蚯蚓) and 蚰 (yóu) appears in 蚰蜒 (centipede). Visually, 蚯 has 丘 on the right (a hill mound) and 蚰 has 由 (reason/cause), so the right-side components are distinct from 甬.

蛹 appears in words like 蚕蛹 (silkworm pupa), a common food in parts of China, and 化蛹 (to pupate) used in biology. In Chinese culture, the transformation from caterpillar to pupa to butterfly symbolizes rebirth and perseverance, often referenced in idioms and literature.

Common words containing 蛹 include: 蚕蛹 (cán yǒng) — silkworm pupa; 化蛹 (huà yǒng) — Pupate / Turn into a chrysalis; 蛹期 (yǒng qī) — Pupal stage.