How to Write 蚖 (yuán) — Meaning “venomous snake; newt”

Imagine a venomous snake coiled in a circle, because 元 (yuán) sounds like "round" or "circle" in English. Picture the snake's body forming a round shape, and the left radical 虫 reminds you it is a reptile. This visual trick links the sound and meaning.

Write the left radical 虫 first with 6 strokes: vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal, vertical, lift, dot. Then the right part 元 with 4 strokes: horizontal, horizontal, left-falling, vertical-hook. A common mistake is making the left radical too big; keep it narrower than the right part to maintain balance.

All three share the radical 虫, but the right components differ. 蚖 has 元 (yuán) and means "venomous snake" or "newt." 虮 has 几 (jǐ) and means "louse eggs." 虰 has 丁 (dīng) and means "dragonfly." Visually, 元 has a curved hook underneath, while 几 looks like a table and 丁 is a simple T-shape.

蚖 is very rare in modern Chinese and is not included in HSK vocabulary. It appears mainly in ancient texts or traditional Chinese medicine, such as in the word 蚖膏 (yuán gāo), which refers to venomous snake fat used as a remedy. You might encounter it in historical or mythological contexts about snakes.

Common words containing 蚖 include: 蚖蛇 (yuán shé) — venomous snake; 蚖青 (yuán qīng) — blister beetle; 蚖膏 (yuán gāo) — venomous snake fat (used in ancient medicine).