How to Write 蜕 (tuì) — Meaning “to molt; exuviae”

Imagine an insect (虫) saying "tweet" (sounds like tuì) as it sheds its old skin. Or picture a bug that "retreats" (退, also tuì) from its shell. Both tricks link the sound to the action of molting.

Write the left radical 虫 first (6 strokes), then the right part 兑 (7 strokes). The key is to keep the right side narrower than the left and avoid making the bottom of 兑 too wide, as it is not the same as 兄. Common mistake: mixing up the strokes inside 兑, especially the two dots at the top.

All three have the insect radical 虫, but 蜕 uses 兑 as phonetic, while 蚯 uses 丘 (hill) and 蚰 uses 由 (from). Visually, 蜕 has two dots on top of its right part, unlike the others. Meaning-wise, 蜕 is about molting or transformation, whereas 蚯 means earthworm and 蚰 means millipede.

蜕 appears in words like 蜕变 (tuì biàn, metamorphosis or transformation) and 蜕皮 (tuì pí, to shed skin). It is common in biology for insects, reptiles, and crustaceans molting. In a broader sense, 蜕变 can describe positive personal or societal change, similar to the idea of a butterfly emerging from a cocoon.

Common words containing 蜕 include: 蜕变 (tuì biàn) — metamorphosis; transformation; 蜕皮 (tuì pí) — to shed skin; to molt; 蜕化 (tuì huà) — to degenerate; to transform.