How to Write 蚤 (zǎo) — Meaning “flea”

Picture a flea (虫) sitting on top of a giant claw (㕚) ready to jump. You can imagine the claw scratching an itch caused by the flea, linking the insect and claw together.

The upper part (虫) should be written narrow and centered, while the lower part (㕚) has a longer horizontal stroke that supports the top. A common mistake is making the vertical stroke of 虫 extend too low, which disrupts the balance.

蚤 means flea, while 虬 (qiú) refers to a mythical hornless dragon, and 虮 (jǐ) means the eggs of lice or fleas. Visually, 蚤 has a 虫 top and 㕚 bottom, whereas 虬 has 虫 and 丩, and 虮 has 虫 and 几.

蚤 is not common alone but appears in the word 跳蚤 (tiào zǎo, flea), especially in 跳蚤市场 (flea market). The character is rarely used in daily conversation but appears in literature or when discussing parasites or secondhand markets.

Common words containing 蚤 include: 跳蚤 (tiào zǎo) — Flea.; 蚤子 (zǎo zi) — flea; 杀跳蚤 (shā tiào zǎo) — to kill fleas.