How to Write 蛮 (mán) — Meaning “Quite / Very”

Imagine a mosquito (虫) buzzing very loudly — so loudly that you say, "That's 蛮 (quite) annoying!" The top part 虫 reminds you of a bug, and the bottom 亦 looks like a person raising their arms in frustration.

Write the top radical 虫 first: a vertical stroke down the middle, then 口 on the left and right, and a dot below. Then write 亦: dot, horizontal stroke, left-falling stroke, right-falling stroke, and a vertical hook. Keep the top half narrow and the bottom half wider for balance.

While all three share the insect radical 虫, 蚊 means "mosquito" (文 as phonetic) and 蚋 means "midge" or "small fly" (内 as phonetic). 蛮 is not an insect name; it is an adverb meaning "quite" or "very" in casual speech, like 蛮好 (quite good).

蛮 is commonly used in spoken Chinese, especially in northern dialects, as an intensifier meaning "quite" or "pretty" — for example, 蛮快 (quite fast) or 蛮多 (quite a lot). It is less formal than 很 and often conveys a friendly, conversational tone.

Common words containing 蛮 include: 蛮好 (mán hǎo) — Quite good; 蛮快 (mán kuài) — Quite fast; 蛮多 (mán duō) — Quite a lot.