How to Write 蠡 (lí/lǐ) — Meaning “Woodworm / Gourd ladle”

Picture a woodworm (虫) eating through a wooden ladle shaped like the top part 彖. The ladle looks like a scoop, so you can remember both meanings: the worm itself and the gourd ladle it damages.

Start by writing the top component 彖: first the left-falling stroke, then the right-falling stroke, followed by the middle parts. Then finish with the bottom radical 虫 (6 strokes). A common mistake is misordering the strokes inside 彖, especially the short horizontal strokes.

All three have the 虫 radical, but the top parts differ: 蠡 has 彖 (resembling a ladle), 蟹 has 解 (meaning to untie), and 蟾 has 詹 (meaning to speak). Visually, 蠡 is narrower and taller, while 蟹 is wider. Their meanings are completely different: woodworm/ladle, crab, and toad.

蠡 is rare in daily use, appearing mainly in historical names like 范蠡 (Fan Li, a famous ancient strategist) and in idioms like 蠡测 (narrow view) from '以蠡测海' (measure the sea with a ladle). It also appears in the place name 蠡县 in Hebei province.

Common words containing 蠡 include: 蠡测 (lí cè) — To have a narrow view / To measure the sea with a ladle; 范蠡 (fàn lǐ) — Fan Li (ancient Chinese figure); 蠡县 (lǐ xiàn) — Li County.