How to Write 蟾 (chán) — Meaning “toad”

Think of a toad saying "Chan" while sitting under a cliff. Picture the toad (虫) and the right part 詹 as "chan" - imagine the toad has a name like "Chan" and lives under a rock ledge (厂) making talk (言).

Write the left radical 虫 first, narrow and tall, then the right part 詹 which has 13 strokes. Pay attention to the right side: the top is a short horizontal stroke (⺈), then 厂, then 八, and finally 言 - make sure each section is balanced and the whole character is not too wide.

蟾 means "toad" and has the right part 詹 (zhān), while 螫 (shì) means "sting" and has 赦 (shè) on the right, and 螬 (cáo) means "scarab beetle" with 曹 (cáo) on the right. Visually, the right components are different characters, so focus on the top and bottom shapes.

蟾 appears in words like 蟾蜍 (chán chú, toad) and in literary references to the moon, such as 蟾宫 (chán gōng, Toad Palace). In Chinese mythology, a three-legged toad lives on the moon, so 蟾 symbolizes the moon and good fortune, and appears in idioms like 蟾宫折桂 (to pass imperial exams).

Common words containing 蟾 include: 蟾蜍 (chán chú) — toad; 蟾宫 (chán gōng) — Toad Palace (the Moon); 蟾影 (chán yǐng) — moonlight.