驚蟄

See also: 惊蛰

Chinese

	to startle; to be frightened; to be scared to startle; to be frightened; to be scared; alarm	hibernate
trad. (驚蟄)	驚	蟄
simp. (惊蛰)	惊	蛰
Literally: “awakening of insects”.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): Jīngzhé, Jīngzhí

(Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄥㄓㄜˊ, ㄐㄧㄥㄓˊ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): Jin¹ zi⁴
Cantonese (Jyutping): ging¹ zik⁶ / ging¹ zat⁶
Gan (Wiktionary): jin¹ 'zet⁶
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): Kiâng-chhṳt

(Hailu, HRS): giang^ˋ chid^ˋ

(Meixian, Guangdong): giang¹ ced⁶
Jin (Wiktionary): jing¹ zah⁵
Northern Min (KCR): Géng-tì
Eastern Min (BUC): Gĭng-dĭk
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): ging¹ dih⁷ / ging¹ zih⁷
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): Keng-ti̍p / Keng-tia̍k / Kiⁿ-ti̍t / Keⁿ-ti̍t / Keⁿ-ta̍t

(Teochew, Peng'im): gêng¹ dêg⁸
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹cin-zeq
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): jin¹ zhr⁶

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, Mainland)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: Jīngzhé
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄥㄓㄜˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: Jingjhé
  - Wade–Giles: Ching¹-chê²
  - Yale: Jīng-jé
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Jingjer
  - Palladius: Цзинчжэ (Czinčžɛ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ³⁵/
- (Standard Chinese, Taiwan)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: Jīngzhí
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄥㄓˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: Jingjhíh
  - Wade–Giles: Ching¹-chih²
  - Yale: Jīng-jŕ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Jingjyr
  - Palladius: Цзинчжи (Czinčži)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: Jin¹ zi⁴
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: Ginz
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕin⁵⁵ t͡sz̩²¹³/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: ging¹ zik⁶ / ging¹ zat⁶
  - Yale: gīng jihk / gīng jaht
  - Cantonese Pinyin: ging¹ dzik⁹ / ging¹ dzat⁹
  - Guangdong Romanization: ging¹ jig⁶ / ging¹ zed⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɪŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɪk̚²/, /kɪŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɐt̚²/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: jin¹ 'zet⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕin⁴² ˈt͡sɛt̚⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Kiâng-chhṳt
  - Hakka Romanization System: giang^ˊ ciid^ˋ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: giang¹ cid⁵
  - Sinological IPA: /ki̯aŋ²⁴ t͡sʰɨt̚²/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: giang^ˋ chid^ˋ
  - Sinological IPA: /kiaŋ⁵³ t͡ʃʰit²/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: giang¹ ced⁶
  - Sinological IPA: /kiaŋ⁴⁴ t͡sʰət̚⁵/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: jing¹ zah⁵
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡ɕiŋ¹¹ t͡saʔ⁵⁴/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: Géng-tì
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /keiŋ⁵⁴ tʰi⁴²/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: Gĭng-dĭk
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiŋ⁵⁵ ^(t-)niʔ⁵/
Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: ging¹ dih⁷ [Phonetic: ging⁵ nih⁷]
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: Ging-di̍h
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiŋ⁵³³⁻¹¹ ^(t-)niʔ⁴/
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: ging¹ dih⁷ [Phonetic: ging⁵ dih⁷]
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: ging-di̍h
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiŋ⁵³³⁻¹¹ tiʔ⁴/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: ging¹ zih⁷ [Phonetic: ging⁵ zih⁷]
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiŋ⁵⁴⁴⁻²¹ t͡siʔ⁴/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Keng-ti̍p
  - Tâi-lô: King-ti̍p
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kengdip
  - IPA (Xiamen): /kiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² tip̚⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Keng-tia̍k
  - Tâi-lô: King-tia̍k
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kengdiak
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /kiɪŋ³³ tiak̚²⁴/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Taipei)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Kiⁿ-ti̍t
  - Tâi-lô: Kinn-ti̍t
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kvi'dit
  - IPA (Xiamen): /kĩ⁴⁴⁻²² tit̚⁴/
  - IPA (Taipei): /kĩ⁴⁴⁻³³ tit̚⁴/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Keⁿ-ti̍t
  - Tâi-lô: Kenn-ti̍t
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kve'dit
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /kɛ̃⁴⁴⁻²² tit̚¹²¹/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /kẽ⁴⁴⁻³³ tit̚⁴/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Keⁿ-ta̍t
  - Tâi-lô: Kenn-ta̍t
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kve'dat
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /kɛ̃⁴⁴⁻²² tat̚¹²¹/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: gêng¹ dêg⁸
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: keng te̍k
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /keŋ³³⁻²³ tek̚⁴/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ¹cin-zeq
  - MiniDict: cin^平 zeh
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹jin-zeq
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡ɕin⁵⁵ zəʔ²¹/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: jin¹ zhr⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /t͡ɕin³³ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²⁴/
  - Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /t͡ɕin³³ t͡sz̩²⁴/

Middle Chinese: kjaeng drip

Rime
Character	驚	蟄
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)	澄 (11)
Final (韻)	庚 (111)	緝 (142)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	舉卿切	直立切
Baxter	kjaeng	drip
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kˠiæŋ/	/ɖˠiɪp̚/
Pan Wuyun	/kᵚiaŋ/	/ɖᵚip̚/
Shao Rongfen	/kiaŋ/	/ȡiep̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kiajŋ/	/ɖjip̚/
Li Rong	/kiɐŋ/	/ȡjəp̚/
Wang Li	/kĭɐŋ/	/ȡĭĕp̚/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ki̯ɐŋ/	/ȡʱi̯əp̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jīng	zhí
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ging¹	zap⁶

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*kreŋ [d]rip/

(Zhengzhang): /*kreŋ dib/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	驚	蟄
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jīng	zhé
Middle Chinese	‹ kjæng ›	‹ drip ›
Old Chinese	/*kreŋ/	/*[d]rip/
English	be afraid	hibernate; cluster
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	驚	蟄
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	6877	17289
Phonetic component	敬	執
Rime group	耕	緝
Rime subdivision	0	2
Corresponding MC rime	驚	蟄
Old Chinese	/*kreŋ/	/*dib/

Proper noun

驚蟄

Jingzhe, the "Waking of Insect", the third of the twenty-four solar terms, around March 5th, 6th, or 7th, when nature reawakens after the winter sleep

Coordinate terms

二十四節氣／二十四节气 (Èrshísì Jiéqì, “The twenty-four solar terms”):
- Spring: 立春 (Lìchūn)、雨水 (yǔshuǐ)、驚蟄／惊蛰 (Jīngzhé)、春分 (Chūnfēn)、清明 (qīngmíng)、穀雨／谷雨 (Gǔyǔ)
- Summer: 立夏 (Lìxià)、小滿／小满 (Xiǎomǎn)、芒種／芒种 (mángzhòng)、夏至 (xiàzhì)、小暑 (Xiǎoshǔ)、大暑 (Dàshǔ)
- Autumn: 立秋 (Lìqiū)、處暑／处暑 (Chǔshǔ)、白露 (báilù)、秋分 (Qiūfēn)、寒露 (Hánlù)、霜降 (Shuāngjiàng)
- Winter: 立冬 (Lìdōng)、小雪 (xiǎoxuě)、大雪 (dàxuě)、冬至 (dōngzhì)、小寒 (Xiǎohán)、大寒 (Dàhán)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (驚蟄):

→ Japanese: 啓蟄(けいちつ) (Keichitsu)
→ Korean: 경칩(驚蟄) (gyeongchip)
→ Vietnamese: Kinh trập (驚蟄)

References

“驚蟄”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.
“Entry #5414”, in 臺灣客語辭典 [Dictionary of Taiwan Hakka] (overall work in Chinese and Hakka), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2022.

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
驚	蟄
きょう Grade: S	ちつ Hyōgai
on'yomi

Orthographic borrowing from Middle Chinese 驚蟄 (MC kjaeng drip).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ke̞ːt͡ɕit͡sɨ]

Proper noun

驚(けい)蟄(ちつ) • (Keichitsu)

(uncommon) synonym of 啓蟄 (keichitsu)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
驚	蟄
けい Grade: S	ちつ Hyōgai
irregular	on'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 驚蟄 – see the following entry.

【啓蟄けいちつ】

[proper noun] the third solar term

(This term, 驚蟄, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Korean

Hanja in this term
驚	蟄

Noun

驚蟄 • (gyeongchip) (hangeul 경칩)

hanja form^? of 경칩

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
驚	蟄

Proper noun

驚蟄

chữ Hán form of Kinh trập