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虼 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
虼gèfleax, 9 strokes, radical 虫
gè(ge4) T4
  1. 1flea
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

虼gè(ge4)

The character 虼 (gè) refers to a flea, a small insect known for its ability to jump and its parasitic behavior on mammals. It is commonly used in discussions about pests, animal care, and sometimes in metaphors for being bothersome or irritating.

Strokes9Radical虫
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, fleas are often associated with cleanliness and health, as they can be a nuisance and a sign of poor hygiene. Traditional remedies for flea infestations may be mentioned in folk medicine.

Memory Tip

Imagine a tiny flea jumping around, making you itch. The character 虼 has the radical 虍 (hū) which relates to beasts or animals, and the 'gè' pronunciation sounds like 'get,' as in 'get rid of fleas!' Picture yourself trying to catch a flea to 'get' it out of your house.

Meanings of 虼

gè(ge4)
1flea
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 虼

虼Simplified
9Strokes
虫Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 虼

JasonAmy

Podcast: 虼

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 虼

Usage Notes

Be cautious when using this term, as it is quite specific and may not be commonly used in everyday conversation. It is more likely to appear in formal contexts discussing pests or in literature. Avoid confusing it with other similar-sounding characters that refer to different insects.

HSK Study Tips

Although 虼 is not included in HSK vocabulary, understanding it can enhance your comprehension of contexts related to animals and pests. Focus on the pronunciation and usage in specific contexts to improve your fluency.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 虼 with other characters that refer to different pests, such as 蚊 (wén, mosquito) or 虫 (huǐ, insect). Ensure you are using 虼 specifically when discussing fleas.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 虼

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Etymology of 虼

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

insect

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 虼

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

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

Want the full history of 虼? 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 虼?

Decomposition of 虼

IDS Structure⿰虫乞
虼Full Character
=
虫chong2
left
乞qi3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 虼?

How to say flea in Chinese

“flea” in Chinese is虼gè

The character 虼 (gè) refers to a flea, a small insect known for its ability to jump and its parasitic behavior on mammals. It is commonly used in discussions about pests, animal care, and sometimes in metaphors for being bothersome or irritating.

When to use 虼

Be cautious when using this term, as it is quite specific and may not be commonly used in everyday conversation. It is more likely to appear in formal contexts discussing pests or in literature. Avoid confusing it with other similar-sounding characters that refer to different insects.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 虼 with other characters that refer to different pests, such as 蚊 (wén, mosquito) or 虫 (huǐ, insect). Ensure you are using 虼 specifically when discussing fleas.

Write 虼

虼

Practice writing 虼 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 虼

Words Containing This Character1
虼gèflea
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 虼 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 虼

It is pronounced 'gè'.

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