How to Write 蚨 (fú) — Meaning “legendary water insect (symbol of money)”

Picture a man (夫) holding a coin that has a tiny bug (虫) on it, because this insect is a symbol of money. The sound 'fu' sounds like 'foo' in 'fortune,' so imagine a "fortune bug." This connects the shape and the sound to the idea of wealth.

Write the left part 虫 first (6 strokes), with the vertical stroke slightly curved. Then write 夫 on the right (4 strokes), making sure the third stroke (a horizontal) is shorter than the last stroke (a large down-right diagonal). A common mistake is making 夫 too narrow or forgetting that the last stroke should extend past the insect part.

蚨 has the right side 夫 and means a legendary money insect. 虮 (jǐ) has the right side 几 (table) and means louse eggs, while 虰 (dīng) has the right side 丁 (nail) and refers to a type of dragonfly. Visually, the right-hand components are distinct, and only 蚨 carries the money-related meaning in classical texts.

蚨 is rarely used alone today; it appears mostly in the classical compound 青蚨 (qīng fú), which refers to money in a literary or poetic way. For example, you might see it in idioms or historical stories about a magical insect that brings back spent coins. Learning it helps you understand old texts about wealth and tradition.

Common words containing 蚨 include: 青蚨 (qīng fú) — mythical insect; money; 蚨钱 (fú qián) — money; coins; 蚨母 (fú mǔ) — mother 'fu' insect (legendary).