蟻 (yǐ) - Ant — refers to the insect ant & also used metaphorically to describe something small, numerous,

蟻Tone 3

yǐ ｜ 19 strokes ｜ radical:

一懿

蟻 · yǐ

Ant — refers to the insect ant;

also used metaphorically to describe something small, numerous, or industrious.

Ant — refers to the insect antalso used metaphorically to describe something small, numerous,

Usage highlights

AntAnt colonyAnt strengthAnt nestWorker antAnt pheromone

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 象— elephant (antonym in size)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The ants are carrying food (蚂蚁在搬运食物).
  • An ant colony is highly organized (蚁群).
  • He has the strength of an ant (蚁力).
  • The ant is a model of diligence (蚂蚁是勤劳的典范).

Collocations

  • Ant(蚂蚁)
  • Ant colony(蚁群)
  • Ant strength(蚁力)
  • Ant nest(蚁穴)
  • Worker ant(工蚁)
  • Ant-like crowd(蚁众)

Idioms

  • Like an ant trying to shake a tree(蚍蜉撼树)
  • Ants on a hot pan(热锅上的蚂蚁)
  • Rove like ants(蚁聚蜂屯)
  • Ants swarming(蚁附蝇集)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, ants symbolize diligence, cooperation, and collective strength due to their industrious nature.
  • Ants are often used in idioms and metaphors to describe large numbers of people or insignificant forces attempting great tasks.
  • The character appears in classical texts like Zhuangzi, illustrating the concept of smallness versus greatness.

FAQ