# 虫 — Insect

Frequency rank 993 / 2,608 in published Japanese.

Mid-frequency: not on every page, but regular in books and magazines.

More common than 承 (Consent), less common than 飯 (Meal).

- On’yomi: ちゅう
- Kun’yomi: むし
- Radical: 虫 Insect (Kangxi 142)
- Frequency path: Level VIII of XX

The character 虫 (insect) looks like a crawling bug — a body with legs and antennae, wriggling along a surface.

In words:

- 虫 むし — insect
- 虫歯 むしば — cavity,tooth decay,decayed tooth,caries
- 昆虫 こんちゅう — insect;bug

[Study 虫](https://app.kanjidrift.com/study?kanji=%E8%99%AB)

[← Rank 992: 飯 (Meal)](https://kanjidrift.com/frequency/飯.md) · [Rank 994: 承 (Consent) →](https://kanjidrift.com/frequency/承.md)

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