How to Write 蜍 (chú) — Meaning “Toad”

Imagine a toad (虫) that has "extra" or "surplus" warts — think of the right side 余 which means "surplus" or "more than enough." This visual trick helps you link the creature radical with the idea of a bumpy toad having extra warts. So 蜍 = bug (虫) + surplus (余) = a toad with many warts.

Write the left radical 虫 first (6 strokes: vertical, horizontal, horizontal, vertical, dot, dot), then the right side 余 (7 strokes: person radical, two horizontal lines, a vertical hook, a left-falling stroke, and a final dot). A common mistake is making the vertical hook on the right side too short or forgetting the dot at the end of 余. Ensure the two horizontal lines in 余 are evenly spaced and the entire character is balanced.

Visually, 蜍 has the right component 余 (surplus), while 蚯 has 丘 (hill) and 蚰 has 由 (cause). In meaning, 蜍 specifically refers to a toad (as in 蟾蜍), 蚯 means earthworm (蚯蚓), and 蚰 means a type of centipede or insect (蚰蜒). So the different right-side components change the animal completely, so focus on that part to tell them apart.

The character 蜍 is almost never used alone; it appears almost exclusively in the compound 蟾蜍 (chán chú), meaning "toad." In Chinese culture, the toad is linked to the legend of Chang'e and the moon, where a toad is said to live on the moon. The three-legged toad is also a common symbol of wealth and good fortune in feng shui.

Common words containing 蜍 include: 蟾蜍 (chán chú) — toad; 蟾蜍皮 (chán chú pí) — toad skin; 蟾蜍鸣 (chán chú míng) — toad croaking.