caam4蠶蚕

Jyutpingcaam4

Yalechàahm

名詞Rare

Definition

Silkmoth or silkworm; a lepidopteran insect whose larvae are the primary source of silk.

neutralanimalsnature

How it's used

People in Hong Kong almost always refer to the larvae as 蠶蟲 rather than just 蠶 when talking about the living creature. While 蠶 specifically refers to the moth or the species, the term is rarely used in daily life outside of educational contexts or discussions about silk production. If you are talking about the caterpillar you keep in a box as a child, 蠶蟲 is the standard way to address it.

Measure word

zek3隻jek

Examples

ni1呢di1啲caam4蠶cung2蟲sik6食hou2好do1多song1桑jip6葉㗎。

These silkworms eat a lot of mulberry leaves.

nei5你zi1知m4唔zi1知caam4蠶hai6係dim2點joeng2樣tou3吐si1絲㗎？

Do you know how silkmoths spin silk?

Common phrases

caam4蠶cung2蟲

silkworm

caam4蠶si1絲

silk

Common mistake

Learners often confuse 蠶 with 蟲, which is a generic term for any insect or worm. Using 蠶 on its own to describe a random crawling bug will sound confusing or overly formal.