How to Write 蛭 (zhì) — Meaning “Leech”

Imagine a leech (虫) that "arrives" (至) to suck your blood—the sound and shape of 至 remind you of the action. Another trick: think of the leech as a worm that goes to the "extreme" (至) to attach itself tightly. This connects the creature with its determined behavior.

The left radical 虫 has six strokes: start with the small mouth, then a vertical, then a horizontal, and finish with a dot (the bottom horizontal should be slightly tilted). The right part 至 has six strokes: top horizontal, then a 厶-like shape (two strokes), then a 土 (three strokes)—make sure the bottom is 土, not 士. Keep the two halves balanced, with the left slightly narrower.

All three share the radical 虫, but their right-side components differ: 蛭 has 至 (zhì, meaning leech), 蚊 has 文 (wén, meaning mosquito), and 蚋 has 内 (nèi, meaning gnat). In meaning, 蛭 is a blood-sucking worm (leech), 蚊 is a flying insect (mosquito), and 蚋 is a small biting fly (gnat). Visually, the right parts are distinct: 至 looks like an arrow, 文 is a simple cross pattern, and 内 has a box with a person inside.

蛭 appears mostly in scientific or medical contexts, such as 水蛭 (shuǐ zhì, water leech) used in traditional Chinese medicine for bloodletting therapy. It is also found in biology terms like 蛭类 (zhì lèi, leeches). Culturally, leeches have a negative image as parasites, but they are sometimes referenced in idioms about clinging or sucking, though 蛭 itself is not common in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 蛭 include: 水蛭 (shuǐ zhì) — Leech; 蚂蛭 (mǎ zhì) — Leech; 蛭类 (zhì lèi) — Leeches.