毛虫 (máochóng): caterpillar

Measure Word

一条毛虫 tiáo

叶子上爬着一条绿色的毛虫。

Yèzi shàng pá zhe yī tiáo lǜsè de máochóng.

A green caterpillar is crawling on the leaf.

毛虫经过变态发育会变成蝴蝶或蛾。

Máochóng jīngguò biàntài fāyù huì biànchéng húdié huò é.

Caterpillars undergo metamorphosis to become butterflies or moths.

她一看到毛虫就浑身起鸡皮疙瘩。

Tā yī kàndào máochóng jiù húnshēn qǐ jīpí gēda.

She gets goosebumps all over whenever she sees a caterpillar.

memory

毛 (hair/fur) + 虫 (bug) = the hairy little bug. The name captures the fuzzy appearance of many caterpillars.

毛 máo

虫 chóng