蜂 (fēng): bee; wasp; hornet

Measure Word

一只蜂 zhī

Meanings

1 bee; wasp; hornet
2 swarm (in compounds)

Characters

蜂

fēng

bee; wasp

Contains the insect radical 虫 (chóng). The right side 夆 is phonetic.

Examples

小心，那里有蜂！

Xiǎoxīn, nàlǐ yǒu fēng!

Careful, there are bees over there!

蜂蜜是蜂酿造的。

Fēngmì shì fēng niàngzào de.

Honey is made by bees.

他被蜂蜇了一下。

Tā bèi fēng zhē le yīxià.

He got stung by a bee.

Tips

usage

蜂 alone is general. Specific types: 蜜蜂 (mìfēng, honeybee), 黄蜂 (huángfēng, wasp), 马蜂 (mǎfēng, hornet). In compounds, 蜂 can mean 'swarm': 蜂拥 (fēngyōng, to swarm).

Components

radical

虫 chóng

insect

Left indexing insect radical — declares 蜂 a small flying creature. Same family as 蝶 (butterfly), 蚊 (mosquito), 蚂 (ant), 蝉 (cicada). Essential for the insect sense — without it, the right side 夆 just means 'meeting / sharp peak' with no buzzing in sight.

phonetic

夆 féng

encounter; sharp peak (here phonetic)

Right 夆 supplies the sound (féng → fēng, tone shift) and a faint 'sharp point' echo fitting the bee's stinger. 夆 = 夂 (downward foot) + 丰 (lush / sharp), depicting something pointed coming down. Same phonetic in 峰 (peak), 锋 (blade), 烽 (beacon), 逢 (encounter).