捕虫

Japanese

Kanji in this term
捕	虫
ほ Grade: S	ちゅう Grade: 1
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
捕蟲 (kyūjitai)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ほちゅう [hòchúú] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ho̞t͡ɕɨᵝː]

Noun

捕(ほ)虫(ちゅう) • (hochū) 

1. insect catching, bug catching

   Synonym: 虫取り (mushitori)

   • 1933, 牧野信一, 真夏の朝のひとゝき‎^[1], 青空文庫:

     夜番(よばん)のお爺(ぢい)さんの孫(まご)である三(さん)ちやんは、お爺(ぢい)さんに似(に)ない意地悪(いぢわる)であつたが捕虫(ほちゆう)の業(わざ)は抜群(ばつぐん)で、二三日前(にさんにちまへ)にもタマムシを六個(ろくこ)、その次(つぎ)にはジヤコウを二個(にこ)、クマバチ一個(いつこ)などと捕獲(ほくわく)した。

     Yoban no ojīsan no mago de aru San-chan wa, ojīsan ni ninai ijiwaru de atta ga hochū no waza wa batsugun de, nisannichi mae ni mo tamamushi o rokko, sono tsugi ni wa jakō o niko, kumabachi ikko nado to hokaku shita.

     San-chan, who was the grandchild of the old man on night watch, was mean-spirited unlike his grandfather, but his insect-catching skills were top-notch. Two or three days ago, he captured six jewel beetles and after that, two Chinese windmills and one carpenter bee.

Derived terms

• 捕虫網(ほちゅうあみ) (hochūami)
• 捕虫葉(ほちゅうよう) (hochūyō)