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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "butterfly" in Chinese?
蝴蝶
hú dié
In Chinese, "butterfly" is 蝴蝶 (hú dié).
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Pronunciation
Read it out as "hú dié", "hú" is rising sharply like a question (tone 2), then "dié" is rising sharply like a question (tone 2).
Writing and usage
蝴蝶 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
一只色彩斑斓的蝴蝶停在了叶子上。
yī zhī sè cǎi bān lán de hú dié tíng zài le yè zi shàng 。
A colourful butterfly landed on the leaf.
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How to remember 蝴蝶
Hú dié sounds close to "hoo-dee-eh", imagine a butterfly going "hoo" as it flutters, a quick anchor for "蝴蝶" (hú dié).
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 蝴蝶
How do you pronounce 蝴蝶?
Read it out as "hú dié", "hú" is rising sharply like a question (tone 2), then "dié" is rising sharply like a question (tone 2).
Is 蝴蝶 formal or casual?
蝴蝶 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 蝴蝶 used in Chinese?
蝴蝶 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 一只色彩斑斓的蝴蝶停在了叶子上。 (A colourful butterfly landed on the leaf.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
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"Butterfly" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
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