Hanzi Writer

How to Write 蟮 (shàn) — Meaning “eel”

shàn 18 strokes Radical: 虫

蟮 (shàn) means "eel" in Chinese. It has 18 strokes with the radical 虫.

Rated 4.2/5 in difficulty (advanced).

Appears in 3+ common words including 蚯蟮 (qiū shàn), 蟮鱼 (shàn yú), 蟮穴 (shàn xué).

Due to its 18 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 蟮 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 蟮 - shàn

Practice Writing 蟮 (shàn)

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How to Write 蟮

The character 蟮 (shàn) is written with 18 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 虫 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does shàn (蟮) Mean in Chinese?

蟮 means eel.

Character Data

Character蟮
Pinyinshàn (shan)
Meaningeel
Strokes18
Radical虫
Difficulty4.2/5

Origin of 蟮

蟮 is a phono-semantic compound combining the radical 虫 (insect/creature) to indicate an eel as an animal, and 善 (shàn) to provide the sound. The right component 善 itself consists of 羊 (sheep) over 言 (speech), but does not contribute meaning to the eel here.

💡 Memory Tip: Imagine an eel (虫) with a sheep's head (羊) and a speaking mouth (言) that proudly says, 'I am a good (善) eel!'

Common Words with 蟮

蚯蟮 qiū shàn
Earthworm (alternative name)
蟮鱼 shàn yú
eel
蟮穴 shàn xué
eel hole

Example Sentences

土里有许多蚯蟮。

tǔ lǐ yǒu xǔ duō qiū shàn

There are many earthworms in the soil.

蟮鱼在泥里游。

shàn yú zài ní lǐ yóu

The eel swims in the mud.

这是一个蟮穴。

zhè shì yí gè shàn xué

This is an eel burrow.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
蟮 (current) shàn 18 虫
螃 páng 16 虫
螅 xī 16 虫
螈 yuán 16 虫
Stroke order practice for 蟮 - shàn

Practice Writing 蟮 (shàn)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 蟮 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 蟮

The left part is the radical 虫, which means insect or creature. The right part is 善 (shàn, 'good'), which gives the character its sound. Together, 蟮 refers to a long, snake-like creature, the eel.

Characters with Radical 虫

虫chóng虬qiú虮jǐ虰dīng虱shī虹hóng虺huī虻méng虼gè虽suī

Other 18-Stroke Characters

冁chǎn嚣xiāo巂guī彝yí彞yí懮yǒu懵měng戳chuō曚méng曛xūn