蚣 (gōng) is a Chinese character meaning “used in 蜈蚣 (wúgōng), centipede”. It is written from 虫 (insect; bug; worm) and 公 (public; common; fair), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “centipede (in 蜈蚣)”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
虫 + 公
Left–right structure
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 现代字形笔画核验（第1–6笔与「虫」逐笔一致，第7–10笔与「公」逐笔一致）
Memory aid
A bug (虫) next to 公. Both parts really are in this character: the bug tells you it's a creature, and 公 (gōng) gives you the sound — gōng, as in 蜈蚣 (centipede).
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 蜈蚣wú gōngcentipede蚣 = gōng
Go deeper
All readings
centipede (in 蜈蚣)
used in 蜈蚣 (wúgōng), centipede
用于「蜈蚣」，一种身体扁长、有很多对脚的节肢动物。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 蜈蚣wú gōngcentipede蚣 = gōng
Sound component
公 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 蚣 mean?
蚣 (gōng) means used in 蜈蚣 (wúgōng), centipede.
How do you pronounce 蚣?
It is pronounced gōng.
What parts is 蚣 made of?
虫 (insect; bug; worm) and 公 (public; common; fair), side by side. The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 现代字形笔画核验（第1–6笔与「虫」逐笔一致，第7–10笔与「公」逐笔一致）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 蚣 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 蚣?
虫. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 蚣?
Common ones are 蜈蚣. The reading of 蚣 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.