何食べてるの？
なに　たべてる　の？
What are you eating?

This is what I said to my dog this morning when he was scratching and chewing something in the corner of the room.

When I got up to look, he took whatever it was and jumped onto a chair with it, a sure sign he knew he was doing something wrong.

When I finally pried his little mouth open, to my utter horror, a half dead spider fell out. Now spiders don’t usually bother me, but I was so grossed out that my dog had been playing with it, I think my voice went up about six octaves when I scolded him.

I guess I should be grateful that he takes it upon himself to kill the bugs in my house.

It’s that time of year again; summer! When all the bugs you hate the most come out to bother you inside and outside of your home.

虫（むし）is the general term for “bug,” in Japanese. You will see that many bugs have the 虫 radical in their kanji or even the reading むし in their name.

Here are some vocabulary words for common bugs in Japan:
Note: Don’t worry too much about memorizing all the kanji. Most names of bugs will be written in katakana when you see them out in the wild.

天道虫 　テントウムシ ladybug

みて！葉っぱの上にいるテントウムシ、きれい！
みて！　はっぱ　の　うえ　に　いる　てんとうむし、　きれい！
Look! The ladybug on that leaf, so pretty!
Literally: “look! + leaf + の + on + に + to exist + ladybug + pretty!”

蛍 ホタル firefly

夏には、ホタルがたくさん飛んでいます。
なつ　には、　ほたる　が　たくさん　とんでいます。
There are a lot of fireflies flying around in the summer.
Literally: “summer + には+ firefly + a lot + flying”

蚯蚓 ミミズ earthworm

ミミズを踏むと雨が降るという人がいる。
みみず　を　ふむ　と　あめ　が　ふる　という　ひと　が　いる。
Some people say stepping on a worm will make rain.
Literally: “worm + を + step + と + rain + が + fall + という + people + が + exist”

蝗/稲子 イナゴ　 locust

イナゴは食べ物にもなる。
いなご　は　たべもの　にも　なる。
Locusts can also be eaten.
Literally: “locust + は + food + にも + become”

蜘蛛 クモ spider

私の犬がクモを食べちゃった！
わたし　の　いぬ　が　くも　を　たべちゃった！
My dog ate a spider!
Literally: “I + の + dog + が + spider + を + ate”
Note: The shorted form of てしまった is ちゃった, an ending that can be used to show regret.

芋虫 イモムシ 　caterpillar
蝶 チョウ　 butterfly

このイモムシはチョウになる。
この　いもむし　は　ちょう　に　なる。
This caterpillar will become a butterfly.
Literally: “this + caterpillar + は + butterfly + become”

百足 ムカデ centipede

ムカデがどうやって家に入ってくるの！？
むかで　が　どうやって　いえ　に　はいってくる　の！？
Why are centipedes in my house?! // How do centipedes get into the house?!
Literally: “centipede + が + how + house + に + enter + come + の”
Note: The の at the end of this sentence is a casual particle that denotes a question, much like か.

蜂 ハチ bee

ハチが花から花へと飛び回っている。
はち　が　はな　から　はな　へ　と　とびまわっている。
Bees are flying around from flower to flower.
Literally: “bee + が + flower + from + flower + to + と + flying around”

蚊 カ mosquito

蚊に刺された。
か　に　さされた。
A mosquito bit me.
Literally: “mosquito + に + bit”

蟻 アリ ant

アリの侵入を防止するピクニック用バスケット。
あり　の　しんにゅう　を　ぼうし　する　ぴくにっく　よう　ばすけっと。
An ant-proof picnic basket.
Literally: “ant + の + invasion + を + prevent + do + picnic + use + basket”

蝿 ハエ fly

ハエうるさい！
はえ　うるさい！
This fly is so loud! // These flies are so noisy!
Literally: “fly + loud!”

ゴキブリ cockroach

こんなに大きいゴキブリ見たことない！
こんなに　おおきい　ゴキブリ　みた　こと　ない！
I've never seen such a big cockroach (in my life)!
Literally: “this much + big + cockroach + have not seen (= saw + thing + there is not)!"

甲虫 カブトムシ rhinoceros beetle
Note: The first kanji 甲 can mean “helmet.”

日本で一番面白い虫はカブトムシだよ！
にほん　で　いちばん　おもしろい　むし　は　かぶとむし　だよ！
The most interesting bug in Japan is the rhinoceros beetle.
Literally: “Japan + で + most + interesting + bug + は + rhinoceros beetle + だよ”

蝉 セミ cicada

セミが朝から鳴いている。
せみ　が　あさ　から　ないている。
The cicada has been chirping from this morning.
Literally: “cicada + が + morning + from + chirping”

Watch out for bugs this summer! And be sure to study up so you can adequately complain about them once they start to bug you. If you don’t like them in your house, I suggest getting an adorable animal friend to assist you <3

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This lesson was written by Cassy L., a guest contributor: