How to Write 唼 (shà) — Meaning “sound of fish or birds eating”

Picture a fish or bird opening its mouth to eat, making a soft "sha" sound. The left 口 represents the mouth, and the right 妾 can be imagined as the creature's body or beak swallowing food. This visual helps connect the shape to the meaning of feeding sounds.

The left radical 口 should be small and positioned high, not too large. The right part 妾 is written with 立 (top) and 女 (bottom); pay attention to the dots and strokes in 立. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or confusing the stroke order of the 女 component.

唼 (shà) specifically describes the sound of birds or fish feeding. 呲 (cī) means to show teeth or scold, using the component 此 (this). 咠 (qì) means to whisper or talk into the ear, using the component 耳 (ear). Visually, 唼 has 妾, 呲 has 此, and 咠 has 耳, so the right parts are distinct.

唼 is very rare in daily speech and is mostly found in classical literature or nature writing. The compound 唼喋 (shà dié) appears in poetic descriptions of fish or birds eating. Language learners will likely encounter it only in advanced reading, not in common conversation.

Common words containing 唼 include: 唼喋 (shà dié) — the sound of birds or fish feeding; 唼 (shà) — sound of fish or birds eating.