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How to Write 虾 (xiā) — Meaning “Shrimp / Prawn”

xiā HSK Level 7 9 strokes Radical: 虫

虾 (xiā) means "Shrimp / Prawn" in Chinese. It has 9 strokes with the radical 虫, and is HSK Level 7.

Rated 4/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 45% of HSK Level 7 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 龙虾 (lóng xiā), 虾米 (xiā mǐ), 虾仁 (xiā rén).

Due to its 9 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 虾 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 虾 - xiā

Practice Writing 虾 (xiā)

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How to Write 虾

The character 虾 (xiā) is written with 9 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 xiā (虾) Mean in Chinese?

虾 means Shrimp / Prawn.

As an HSK Level 7 character, 虾 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character虾
Pinyinxiā (xia)
MeaningShrimp / Prawn
Strokes9
Radical虫
HSK Level7
Difficulty4/5

Origin of 虾

虾 is a phono-semantic compound: the radical 虫 (insect/creature) hints that it's a small aquatic animal, and 下 (xià, 'down') gives a pronunciation clue (xiā). In ancient times, shrimp were seen as water-dwelling 'insects' that move downward or hide below surfaces.

💡 Memory Tip: Imagine a shrimp with bug-like legs (虫) crawling down (下) into the mud at the bottom of a pond.

Common Words with 虾

龙虾 lóng xiā
Lobster
虾米 xiā mǐ
Small dried shrimp
虾仁 xiā rén
Shelled shrimp

Example Sentences

龙虾很贵。

lóng xiā hěn guì

Lobsters are very expensive.

妈妈买了虾米。

mā mā mǎi le xiā mǐ

Mom bought dried small shrimps.

虾仁炒蛋很好吃。

xiā rén chǎo dàn hěn hǎo chī

Scrambled eggs with shrimp is delicious.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
虾 (current) xiā 9 虫
虬 qiú 7 虫
虮 jǐ 8 虫
虰 dīng 8 虫
Stroke order practice for 虾 - xiā

Practice Writing 虾 (xiā)

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

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

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Frequently Asked Questions about 虾

The character 虾 combines the radical 虫 on the left, meaning 'creature' or 'insect', with the component 下 (xià, 'down') on the right. The radical 虫 shows that 虾 is an animal, and 下 provides a clue to its pronunciation (xiā). Although 下 means 'down', it does not directly relate to shrimp's behavior; it mainly serves as a phonetic hint.

More HSK Level 7 Characters

伯bó呵hē哎āi哀āi唉āi/ài癌ái艾ài/yì滋zī抚fǔ逸yì昂áng凹āo/wā熬āo/áo奥ào卦guà扒bā/pá芭bā蕾lěi柄bǐng靶bǎ

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 9-Stroke Characters

㒸suì㲋chuò㿽xī临lín举jǔ乹gān/qián亭tíng亮liàng亲qīn/qìng侮wǔ