How to Write 虺 (huī) — Meaning “Venomous snake (ancient term)”

Imagine a snake (虫) that is so dangerous it makes you say "Woo!" (like 兀 sounds) because it's venomous. You can think of the right side 兀 as a snake's curved body ready to strike. This visual links the shape and sound to the idea of a venomous serpent.

The left side 虫 should be written narrow and slightly taller, while the right side 兀 must be balanced with its horizontal stroke aligning near the middle of 虫. A common mistake is making 兀 too wide or misplacing its vertical stroke, so keep the right side compact. Remember that 兀 has four strokes: horizontal, left-falling, right-falling, and a vertical hook.

虺 (huī) means a venomous snake, while 虬 (qiú) refers to a mythical horned dragon or dragon-like creature, and 虮 (jǐ) means the eggs of lice or fleas. Visually, 虺 has the right component 兀, 虬 has 几, and 虮 has 几 with a different stroke order. Their meanings are entirely separate, so always check the right side for distinction.

虺 is rarely used in everyday modern Chinese and is mostly found in classical texts, poetry, or historical references to ancient venomous snakes. It appears in idioms like 虺蛇入穴 (huī shé rù xué, meaning a venomous snake entering its hole, used metaphorically). Cultural note: It can also be a surname, but this is extremely uncommon.

Common words containing 虺 include: 虺 (huī) — Venomous snake (ancient term); 虺蛇 (huī shé) — Venomous snake.