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蜮 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
蜮yùtoad; legendary turtleg, 14 strokes, radical 虫
蜮yùmythical creatureunknown, 14 strokes, radical 虫
蜮yùwormunknown, 14 strokes, radical 虫
yù(yu4) T4
  1. 1toad; legendary turtle
  2. 2mythical creature
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

蜮yù(yu4)

The character 蜮 (yù) primarily refers to a toad or a mythical creature resembling a turtle. It may also denote a worm in certain contexts. This character is often used in folklore and literature to describe creatures with magical or legendary qualities.

Strokes14Radical虫
Cultural Note

In Chinese folklore, toads are often associated with transformation and magic, symbolizing good fortune and resilience. The character 蜮 can evoke stories of legendary creatures that play significant roles in traditional tales.

Memory Tip

Imagine a toad (蜮) sitting on a rock, blending in with its surroundings. The radical '虫' (insect) at the bottom hints at its connection to nature, while the top part can remind you of a turtle's shell, emphasizing its mythical aspect. Picture this toad being wise and magical, helping you remember the pronunciation 'yù'.

Meanings of 蜮

yù(yu4)
1toad; legendary turtle
2mythical creature
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 蜮

蜮Simplified
14Strokes
虫Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 蜮

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Podcast: 蜮

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AI Study Notes for 蜮

Usage Notes

When using 蜮, be careful not to confuse it with similar characters, especially in spoken Chinese where tones can lead to misunderstandings. It's more commonly used in literary contexts, so it may sound overly formal in everyday conversation. Common collocations might include phrases relating to folklore or mythical stories.

HSK Study Tips

This character is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, which means it’s less frequently encountered in basic Mandarin studies. However, understanding it can enrich your vocabulary related to mythology and folklore, connecting to other nature-related characters at higher levels.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 蜮 with similar sounding characters like 龟 (gui - turtle) due to pronunciation similarities. Remember, 蜮 specifically relates to toads and mythical creatures, while 龟 refers to turtles.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 蜮

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Etymology of 蜮

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

worm

Semantic (meaning)虫
+
Phonetic (sound)或
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 蜮

  1. 1The meaning half虫 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half或 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayworm
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 蜮? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 蜮?

Decomposition of 蜮

IDS Structure⿰虫或
蜮Full Character
=
虫chong2
left
或huo4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 蜮?

How to say toad; legendary turtle in Chinese

“toad; legendary turtle” in Chinese is蜮yù

The character 蜮 (yù) primarily refers to a toad or a mythical creature resembling a turtle. It may also denote a worm in certain contexts. This character is often used in folklore and literature to describe creatures with magical or legendary qualities.

When to use 蜮

When using 蜮, be careful not to confuse it with similar characters, especially in spoken Chinese where tones can lead to misunderstandings. It's more commonly used in literary contexts, so it may sound overly formal in everyday conversation. Common collocations might include phrases relating to folklore or mythical stories.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 蜮 with similar sounding characters like 龟 (gui - turtle) due to pronunciation similarities. Remember, 蜮 specifically relates to toads and mythical creatures, while 龟 refers to turtles.

Write 蜮

蜮

Practice writing 蜮 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 蜮

Words Containing This Character2
鬼蜮evil spirit
蜮yùtoad
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 鬼蜮 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 蜮

No, 蜮 is primarily found in literary contexts or folklore, making it less common in everyday speech.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 蜮?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.