How to Write 蜘 (zhī) — Meaning “spider (component)”

Imagine a spider (虫) that knows (知) how to spin a perfect web. The right part 知 means "to know," so you can remember that a spider "knows" its craft. Picture an insect with knowledge to recall the shape.

Start with the left radical 虫 (3 strokes: vertical, horizontal, dot), then write the right side 知 (11 strokes: first 矢 then 口). Keep the left side narrow and the right side wider. A common mistake is making the 虫 too wide or forgetting the dot at the bottom of 虫.

All three have the insect radical 虫, but their right sides differ. 蜘 uses 知 (zhī), 蛐 uses 曲 (qū, meaning "song" or "bend"), and 蛑 uses 牟 (móu). 蜘 only appears in the word "spider," while 蛐 is used in 蛐蛐 (cricket) and 蛑 is rare, referring to a type of spider or crab.

蜘 never appears alone; it always forms the compound 蜘蛛 (zhīzhū, spider). It is also used in 蜘蛛网 (spider web) and the popular name 蜘蛛侠 (Spider-Man). In Chinese culture, spiders symbolize patience and good luck, especially when they spin a web in a home.

Common words containing 蜘 include: 蜘蛛 (zhī zhū) — spider; 蜘蛛网 (zhī zhū wǎng) — spider web; 蜘蛛侠 (zhī zhū xiá) — Spider-Man.