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蛇 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
蛇shésnakeHSK 5, n, 11 strokes, radical 虫, rank #2378, Hard
蛇shéserpentHSK 5, unknown, 11 strokes, radical 虫, rank #2378, Hard
shé(she2) T2
  1. 1snake
  2. 2serpent
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
蛇(虵)shé(she2)

The character 蛇 (shé) refers to a snake or serpent, often symbolizing cunning or danger in various contexts. It is commonly used in both everyday language and literature to describe the animal itself or to evoke certain traits associated with snakes.

Strokes11Radical虫Frequency#2378DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the snake is one of the twelve zodiac animals, representing intuition, elegance, and wisdom, but also potential treachery. The Year of the Snake is often associated with introspection and progress.

Memory Tip

Imagine a snake slithering silently through the grass. The character 蛇 has an outer shell (the radical虫, meaning insect or creature) that resembles the snake's body, while the inner part hints at its sinuous nature. Remembering 'shé' can be linked to the sound of a snake hissing.

Meanings of 蛇

shé(she2)
1snake
2serpent
Exercise 1 of 3

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 蛇

蛇Simplified
虵Traditional
11Strokes
虫Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#2378Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L5IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRB2

Podcast: 蛇

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Podcast: 蛇

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AI Study Notes for 蛇

Quick Contrast

蛇 (shé) vs 蛇形 (shéxíng) — choose 蛇 when referring specifically to the animal, while 蛇形 refers to something that is snake-like in shape.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a snake slithering silently through the grass. The character 蛇 has an outer shell (the radical虫, meaning insect or creature) that resembles the snake's body, while the inner part hints at its sinuous nature. Remembering 'shé' can be linked to the sound of a snake hissing.

Usage Notes

Be mindful that 蛇 is primarily used in informal contexts, while more formal references may use synonyms. Common collocations include 蛇毒 (shé dú, snake venom) and 蛇年 (shé nián, the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac). Make sure to pronounce it with the second tone to avoid confusion with other words.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 5 word, 蛇 connects with other animal-related vocabulary and themes in Chinese culture, including zodiac animals. Students should focus on recognizing the character's structure and context in both spoken and written forms.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the snake is one of the twelve zodiac animals, representing intuition, elegance, and wisdom, but also potential treachery. The Year of the Snake is often associated with introspection and progress.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 蛇 (shé) with similar-sounding words like 社 (shè, society) due to tonal differences. Always ensure the correct tone is used to convey the intended meaning.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 蛇

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Etymology of 蛇

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

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 它 represents the sound. Originally written as 它.

Memory Hint

worm

Semantic (meaning)虫
+
Phonetic (sound)它
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 蛇?

Decomposition of 蛇

IDS Structure⿰虫它
蛇Full Character
=
虫chong2
left
它ta1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 蛇?

Write 蛇

蛇

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 蛇

蛇 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons2
Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

我最怕____，偏偏在路上遇到了一条。

I am most afraid of snakes, and of course I ran into one on the road.

Common Confusions with 蛇

蛇vs者
zhě

Similar sound but different meaning.

蛇vs詩
shī

Similar shape but different meaning.

Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "snake"?

or

Example Sentences for 蛇 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
蛇蜥其实不是蛇，而是无脚的蜥蜴。

shé xī qí shí bù shì shé， ， ér shì wú jiǎo de xī。

The slow-worm is in fact not a snake but a legless lizard.
2
那条蛇盘绕起来准备攻击。

nà tiáo shé pán rào qǐ lái zhǔn bèi gōng jī。

The snake coiled up, ready to strike.
3
他感觉就像有一条蛇朝自己的双眼里喷射了毒液。

tā gǎn jué jiù xiàng yǒu yī tiáo shé zhāo zì jǐ de shuāng yǎn lǐ pēn shè le dú yè。

He felt as if a serpent had spat venom into his eyes.
4
大蟒蛇紧紧盘绕猎物使之无法呼吸，从而杀死猎物。

dà mǎng shé jǐn jǐn pán rào liè wù shǐ zhī wú fǎ hū xī， ， cóng ér shā sǐ liè。

Pythons kill by tightening their coils so that their victim cannot breathe.
5
龟蛇二山隔江相望.

guī shé èr shān gé jiāng xiāng wàng.

Tortoise and Snake Hills face each other across the river.
6
它的眼睛象蛇眼一样又黑又亮.

tā de yǎn jīng xiàng shé yǎn yī yàng yòu hēi yòu liàng.

The eyes are black and gleam like a snake's.
7
猫是温血动物, 而蛇是 冷血动物 .

māo shì wēn xiě dòng wù, , ér shé shì lěng xiě.

Cat are warm - blooded animals, but snakes are cold - blooded.
8
这种蛇能把毒液喷射到一米处远。

zhè zhǒng shé néng bǎ dú yè pēn shè dào yī mǐ chǔ yuǎn。

The snake can squirt poison from a distance of a metre.
9
那条蛇逼上前来,安娜吓得直往后退.

nà tiáo shé bī shàng qián lái, , ān nà xià dé zhí wǎng hòu.

Anna recoiled in horror as the snake approached.
10
一条小绿蛇爬过潮湿的道路.

yī tiáo xiǎo lǜ shé pá guò cháo shī de dào lù.

A small green snake slithered across the wet road.

Cultural Notes for 蛇

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the snake is one of the twelve zodiac animals, representing intuition, elegance, and wisdom, but also potential treachery. The Year of the Snake is often associated with introspection and progress.

Word Family of 蛇

Words Containing This Character20
蛇shésnake
毒蛇viper
眼镜蛇cobra眼鏡蛇
蛇头head of a snake蛇頭
蟒蛇python
响尾蛇rattlesnake響尾蛇
打草惊蛇lit. beat the grass to scare the snake打草驚蛇
牛鬼蛇神evil monsters
蛇毒snake venom
蛇行to creep
蛇皮snake skin
白蛇传Tale of the White Snake白蛇傳
虎头蛇尾lit. tiger's head, snake's tail (idiom); fig. a strong start but weak finish虎頭蛇尾
蛇形S-shaped
画蛇添足huàshétiānzúto overdo it畫蛇添足
地头蛇local bully地頭蛇
水蛇water snake
引蛇出洞lit. to pull a snake from its hole
蝮蛇venomous snake
蛇胆snake gall (used in TCM)蛇膽
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 蛇 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 蛇

It is pronounced as 'shé' with a rising tone.