懂中文 Dong Chinese

蝉

chán

cicada

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 单 represents the sound. Simplified form of 蟬.

Components
虫 meaning component

虫  Meaning component

chóng

  

bug, insect

单 sound component

单  Sound component

dān, shàn

  

single

Evolution

蝉 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
蝉 Clerical script Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical script

Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
蝉 Seal script Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal script

Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
蝉 Traditional script Modern

Traditional script

Modern
蝉 Simplified script Modern

Simplified script

Modern
Definitions

蝉 (蟬) 

chán

cicada; continuous

Most common words with 蝉
Freq.
Word
Meaning

蝉联

to continue in a post

蝉

cicada

貂蝉

Diaochan (-192), one of the four legendary beauties 四大美女[sì​dà​měi​nǚ], in fiction a famous beauty at the break-up of Han dynasty, given as concubine to usurping warlord Dong Zhuo 董卓[Dǒng​Zhuó] to ensure his overthrow by fighting hero Lü Bu 呂布|吕布[Lǚ​Bù]

金蝉脱壳

a crafty escape plan

噤若寒蝉

to keep quiet out of fear (idiom)