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螳

táng
noun #64,896

Meanings

  1. 1 praying mantis (only in 螳螂)

Examples

HSK 5
螳臂当车，是自不量力。
Tángbìdāngchē, shì zìbúliànglì.
A mantis trying to stop a cart means overrating one's own strength.
HSK 7-9
绿叶上藏着一只螳螂。
Lǜyè shàng cáng zhe yì zhī tángláng.
A praying mantis was hiding on the green leaf.

Tips

culture
螳 only appears in 螳螂 (praying mantis). The idiom 螳臂当车 (a mantis blocking a cart with its arms) mocks reckless overconfidence against impossible odds.

Components

radical
虫 chóng
insect
The insect radical. A mantis is an insect, so this radical states the category and groups 螳 with its many bug relatives like 蝗, 蜂 and 螂.
phonetic
堂 táng
hall; main room
Pure sound: standalone 堂 is táng and 螳 keeps it exactly. The hall meaning does not enter the word, only the reading, the same role 堂 plays in 螳's partner 螂's family.

Stroke Order

螳 táng