Learn a Chinese Character - 蜡

1. Character Basics

Radical: 虫 (chóng, insect radical)

Stroke Count: 14

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: là (Fourth tone)

3. Meaning

Wax; candle; beeswax; paraffin; wax-like substance

4. Common Words

• 蜡烛 (làzhú) - Candle
• 蜡笔 (làbǐ) - Crayon
• 蜡纸 (làzhǐ) - Wax paper; mimeograph stencil
• 蜂蜡 (fēnglà) - Beeswax
• 石蜡 (shílà) - Paraffin wax
• 蜡像 (làxiàng) - Wax statue; wax figure
• 打蜡 (dǎlà) - To wax (floor, car, etc.)
• 蜡染 (làrǎn) - Batik (wax-resist dyeing)

5. Grammar & Usage

"蜡" is primarily used as a noun referring to wax or wax-like substances. It is often combined with other characters to form compound words related to wax products or processes.

Pattern 1: 蜡 + [Noun] - Wax + [Noun] (e.g., 蜡烛, 蜡笔)

Pattern 2: [Verb] + 蜡 - [Verb] + wax (e.g., 打蜡)

6. Cultural Background

Candles have played an important role in Chinese culture for thousands of years, used for lighting, religious ceremonies, and festivals. Traditional Chinese candles were often made from beeswax or plant-based waxes. Today, wax continues to be culturally significant in practices like candle lighting during holidays and wax-resist dyeing techniques like batik.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character "蜡" consists of the radical "虫" (chóng, insect) on the left and "昔" (xī, past) on the right. One way to remember it: in the past, some insects (like bees) were used to make wax products. Or think of wax as something that was used in ancient times (昔) for various purposes.