How to Write 蝮 (fù) — Meaning “Viper (character component)”

Imagine a viper (虫) that keeps coming back (复, meaning "again") to strike you — this double attack helps you recall the sound fù. Alternatively, think of the word "foo" — a viper hisses "foo" before it bites.

Write the left radical 虫 first (6 strokes: vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal, vertical, lift, dot), then the right part 复 (9 strokes). A common mistake is mixing up the stroke order of 复, especially the inner components: remember it starts with a left-falling stroke, then horizontal, vertical, horizontal fold, etc. Keep the left side narrow and the right side wider for correct proportions.

The main difference is the right-side component: 蝮 has 复 (fù), while 蛵 has 巠 (jīng or xíng) and 蛸 has 肖 (xiào or shāo). In meaning, 蝮 means viper, 蛵 is a rarely used character (often a type of insect), and 蛸 refers to a spider egg sac or mantis egg case. Visually, the right side shapes are distinct — compare the strokes of 复, 巠, and 肖.

蝮 appears mainly in biological terms like 蝮蛇 (fù shé, viper) and 蝮蛇毒 (fù shé dú, viper venom). It is not common in everyday speech and is not included in the HSK vocabulary. Culturally, 蝮蛇 is sometimes referenced in traditional Chinese medicine or in stories about venomous snakes.

Common words containing 蝮 include: 蝮蛇 (fù shé) — Viper / Adder; 蝮蛇毒 (fù shé dú) — Viper venom; 小蝮蛇 (xiǎo fù shé) — Small pit viper.