蚕 (cán): silkworm
蚕 (cán) is a Chinese character meaning “silkworm.” Classified as HSK Level 7-9 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), with radical 艹 (grass). It ranks #3460 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Native pronunciation
Definitions
- silkworm
Stroke Order
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Practice writing 蚕 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 蚕食 | cán shí | (lit. and fig.) to nibble away at |
| 蚕丝 | cán sī | natural silk (secreted by silkworm) |
| 蚕豆 | cán dòu | broad bean (Vicia faba) |
| 桑蚕 | sāng cán | silkworm |
| 蚕食鲸吞 | cán shí jīng tūn | lit. to nibble like a silkworm or swallow like a whale (idiom) |
| 蚕子 | cán zǐ | silkworm eggs |
| 家蚕 | jiā cán | the common silkworm (Bombyx mori) |
| 蚕种 | cán zhǒng | silkworm eggs |
| 养蚕业 | yǎng cán yè | silk industry |
| 草石蚕 | cǎo shí cán | Chinese artichoke |
| 蚕山 | cán shān | see 蠶蔟|蚕蔟[can2 cu4] |
| 蚕宝宝 | cán bǎo bǎo | silkworm |
| 养蚕 | yǎng cán | to raise silkworms |
| 蚕农 | cán nóng | sericulturist |
| 蚕沙 | cán shā | silkworm guano (excrement) |
35
Total compounds
66
As first character
26
As last character
9
As middle character
蚕 appears in 35 compound words: 66 as the first character, 26 as the last, and 9 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Idioms & Chengyu (1)
Example Sentences
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 蚕 (cán) mean in Chinese?
蚕 (cán) primarily means "silkworm." It is classified as HSK Level 7-9, making it an expert-level character. It ranks #3460 in character frequency.
How many strokes does 蚕 have?
蚕 is written with 10 strokes. The correct stroke order matters for recognition and handwriting speed — practice with the animated guide above to build proper technique.
What is the radical of 蚕?
The radical associated with 蚕 is 艹 (grass). This radical appears in many characters related to grass.
What are common words containing 蚕?
Common words with 蚕 include: 蚕食 (cán shí, "(lit. and fig.) to nibble away at"); 蚕丝 (cán sī, "natural silk (secreted by silkworm)"); 蚕豆 (cán dòu, "broad bean (Vicia faba)"); 桑蚕 (sāng cán, "silkworm"); 蚕食鲸吞 (cán shí jīng tūn, "lit. to nibble like a silkworm or swallow like a whale (idiom)"). There are over 35 compound words containing this character.
Is 蚕 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
No. The simplified form is 蚕 and the traditional form is 蠶.
Practice writing 蚕 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear native pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.