毛虫 (máochóng): caterpillar

Measure Word

一条毛虫 tiáo

Yèzi shàng pázhe yī tiáo lǜsè de máochóng.

A green caterpillar is crawling on the leaf.

Máochóng jīngguò biàntài fāyù huì biànchéng húdié huò é.

Caterpillars undergo metamorphosis to become butterflies or moths.

Tā yī kàndào máochóng jiù húnshēn qǐ jīpígēda.

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