How do you say "insect" in Japanese?

昆虫

konchū

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "insect" is 昆虫 (konchū).

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Pronunciation

昆虫 is written using kanji. Romanised as konchū, it sounds roughly like "koh-n-choo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Konchu is written in kanji 昆虫, a compound meaning living creature. This is formal academic vocabulary in biology lessons.

Example sentence

昆虫は昼間よく眠ります。

Konchū wa hiruma yoku nemurimasu.

A insect often sleeps during the day.

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How to remember 昆虫

Kon means many or group, chu means insect. Many tiny insects gathered together.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more beach words.

Questions about 昆虫

How do you pronounce 昆虫?

昆虫 is romanised as konchū. Say it roughly like "koh-n-choo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 昆虫 formal or casual?

昆虫 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 昆虫 written in Japanese?

昆虫 is written using kanji. Konchu is written in kanji 昆虫, a compound meaning living creature.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Insect" in other languages

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