How to Write 蚊 (wén) — Meaning “Mosquito”

Imagine a mosquito using its long mouth to "write" (文) a pattern on your skin while you sleep. The insect radical 虫 on the left reminds you it is a bug, and the 文 part helps you recall the pinyin wén.

Write the left radical 虫 first (stroke order: 竖、横折、横、竖、提、点), then add the right part 文 (stroke order: 点、横、撇、捺). Make sure the 文 is not too wide and fits inside the square—common mistakes are making the 文 too large or forgetting the dot above 文.

蚊 means "mosquito," while 虮 (jǐ) refers to the eggs of lice or fleas, and 虰 (dīng) is a rare character for a type of insect like a dragonfly. Visually, 蚊 has 文 on the right, 虮 has 几, and 虰 has 丁, so their right-side components differ even though they share the 虫 radical.

蚊 appears most often in the common word 蚊子 (wén zi, mosquito) for daily conversation. It is also used in 蚊香 (mosquito coil) and 蚊帐 (mosquito net), which are essential in summer in China to prevent mosquito bites. Culturally, mosquitoes are a common annoyance, and these products are widely discussed during warm months.

Common words containing 蚊 include: 蚊子 (wén zi) — Mosquito; 蚊香 (wén xiāng) — Mosquito coil; 蚊帐 (wén zhàng) — Mosquito net.