qīng

dragonfly

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components
虫 meaning component

  Meaning component

chóng

  

bug, insect

青 sound component

  Sound component

qīng

  

green or blue

Evolution

蜻 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
蜻 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

qīng

dragonfly; see 蜻蜓[qīng​tíng]

Most common words with 蜻
Freq.
Word
Meaning

蜻蜓

dragonfly

蜻蜓点水

superficial contact (idiom)

dragonfly

蜻蜓撼石柱

lit. the dragon-fly shakes the stone tower (idiom); fig. to overestimate one's capabilities