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. The right side 夆 is phonetic.

Examples

HSK 3

小心，那里有蜂！

Xiǎoxīn, nàlǐ yǒu fēng!

Careful, there are bees over there!

HSK 7-9

蜂蜜是蜂酿造的。

Fēngmì shì fēng niàngzào de.

Honey is made by bees.

HSK 7-9

他被蜂蜇了一下。

Tā bèi fēng zhē le yíxià.

He got stung by a bee.

Tips

usage

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