蛇 shé snake
How to remember 蛇: 虫 insect + 它 it = snake. The boy lifts the tent flap expecting an insect, but his sister screams "It is a snake!"
Component breakdown
蛇 = 虫 insect + 它 it
- 虫 insect
- 它 it
The boy lifts the tent flap expecting an insect, but his sister screams "It is a snake!"
How it is used
- 蛇 is the standalone word for 'snake' and combines freely: 蛇皮 (shépí) snakeskin, 毒蛇 (dúshé) venomous snake.
- 画蛇添足 huàshé-tiānzú ('draw a snake and add feet') is a well-known four-character idiom for ruining something by adding an unnecessary, over-the-top touch - used in both writing and speech to criticize overdoing it.