How to Write 虿 (chài) — Meaning “Scorpion (archaic)”

Picture a scorpion with its curved tail forming the shape of the number 10,000 (万) on top, and its insect body as 虫 below. You can think: 'Ten thousand (万) insects (虫), and the most dangerous one is the scorpion.'

First write the top part 万 with three strokes: horizontal, horizontal, vertical hook, then a left-falling stroke (not a dot). Then write the 虫 radical below: mouth, vertical, up-down, dot. A common mistake is making the 万 too wide or not centering the 虫 underneath it.

The top part is different: 虿 has 万 (wàn), 虬 has 丩 (jiū), and 虮 has 几 (jǐ). Their meanings also differ: 虿 means 'scorpion', 虬 is a mythical dragon, and 虮 means 'louse eggs' or tiny insects. Visually, note the hook and stroke pattern on top.

虿 is very old-fashioned and almost never used alone today. You might see it in historical words like 虿盆 (a punishment pit of scorpions) or in idioms such as 蜂虿有毒 (bees and scorpions are venomous), meaning even small things can cause harm. Most modern Chinese learners will only encounter it in ancient texts or history lessons.

Common words containing 虿 include: 虿盆 (chài pén) — Pit of scorpions; 蜂虿 (fēng chài) — Bees and scorpions (venomous insects); 虿尾 (chài wěi) — Scorpion's tail.