How to Write 蛛 (zhū) — Meaning “spider”

Imagine a spider (虫) that is bright red (朱) after eating a red berry. The color red (朱) helps you recall the sound 'zhū,' and the bug radical reminds you it is a spider.

Write the left radical 虫 first, then the right part 朱. Keep the 虫 narrow and the 朱 slightly wider. A common mistake is treating the top stroke of 朱 as a horizontal line instead of a short downward slash (撇), so pay attention to that difference.

蛛 (spider) uses the phonetic component 朱 (zhū), while 蚊 (mosquito) uses 文 (wén) and 蚋 (gnat) uses 内 (nèi). All three share the insect radical 虫, but the right side tells you both the sound and the specific creature.

蛛 is rarely used alone; it almost always appears in the compound 蜘蛛 (zhī zhū, spider), as well as 蜘蛛网 (spider web) and 蜘蛛侠 (Spider-Man). In Chinese culture, spiders are sometimes seen as symbols of good luck, but the character itself is neutral and factual.

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