蛋
dàn · HSK 2
egg
🥚 蛋 = 疋 (cloth/bolt) + 虫 (insect); the egg-laying creature radical
Decomposes as 疋 on top + 虫 (bug/creature) on bottom. The 虫 radical signals egg-laying critters; over time 蛋 generalized from reptile/insect eggs to any egg, then to round lumps and clumps.
蛋 — top 疋 (cloth/foot) + bottom 虫 (insect/creature)
蛋 originally referred to an egg, with 虫 ('creature') as the semantic component indicating something laid by reptiles, birds, or insects. The upper 疋 element here functions largely as a phonetic marker rather than carrying meaning. Over time, 蛋 broadened from 'egg' to also mean a rounded, egg-shaped object.