Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
螅 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
螅xīintestinal wormx, 16 strokes, radical 虫
螅xī(intestinal worm)unknown, 16 strokes, radical 虫
xī(xi1) T1
  1. 1intestinal worm
  2. 2(intestinal worm)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

螅xī(xi1)

The character 螅 (xī) refers to a type of intestinal worm, often used in a biological or medical context. It can imply the presence of parasites in the digestive system, and is not commonly used in everyday conversation. Understanding this term is useful for discussing health-related topics in more specialized settings.

Strokes16Radical虫
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, worms and parasites are often discussed in the context of health, where they are believed to affect balance in the body. This character connects to the broader cultural understanding of health and wellness in Chinese society.

Memory Tip

Imagine a small, wriggly worm (the visual representation of 螅) creeping through the intestines. The 'x' in 'xī' can remind you of 'wiggly,' helping you connect the sound to the image of a worm moving in a squirmy fashion.

Meanings of 螅

xī(xi1)
1intestinal worm
2(intestinal worm)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 螅

螅Simplified
16Strokes
虫Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 螅

JasonAmy

Podcast: 螅

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 螅

Usage Notes

This term is quite technical and might not be widely recognized outside of medical or biological discussions. It is important to be cautious about the tone when using it; using it in a light-hearted context may come off as insensitive. The common collocation is in phrases related to health and medicine.

HSK Study Tips

As this word is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, focus on related medical terms and phrases that describe health issues. Understanding the context in which 螅 is used can enhance your vocabulary in discussions about health and biology, which may appear in advanced studies.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 螅 with similar-sounding characters like 西 (xī), which means 'west.' Remember that 螅 specifically refers to a type of worm, while 西 refers to a direction.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 螅

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 螅 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 螅

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

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 息 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

worm

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 螅

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 息 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half虫 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half息 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 螅? 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 螅?

Decomposition of 螅

IDS Structure⿰虫息
螅Full Character
=
虫chong2
left
息xi1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 螅?

How to say intestinal worm in Chinese

“intestinal worm” in Chinese is螅xī

The character 螅 (xī) refers to a type of intestinal worm, often used in a biological or medical context. It can imply the presence of parasites in the digestive system, and is not commonly used in everyday conversation. Understanding this term is useful for discussing health-related topics in more specialized settings.

When to use 螅

This term is quite technical and might not be widely recognized outside of medical or biological discussions. It is important to be cautious about the tone when using it; using it in a light-hearted context may come off as insensitive. The common collocation is in phrases related to health and medicine.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 螅 with similar-sounding characters like 西 (xī), which means 'west.' Remember that 螅 specifically refers to a type of worm, while 西 refers to a direction.

Write 螅

螅

Practice writing 螅 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 螅

Words Containing This Character2
水螅Hydra (freshwater polyp)
螅xī(intestinal worm)
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 水螅 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 螅

You could say, '体内有螅的感染需要治疗' (Tǐnèi yǒu xī de gǎnrǎn xūyào zhìliáo), which means 'An infection from intestinal worms needs treatment.'

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 螅?

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.