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螄 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
螄sīa snail with a spiral shellx, 16 strokes, radical 虫
sī(si1) T1
  1. 1a snail with a spiral shell
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

螄sī(si1)

The character 螄 (sī) refers to a type of snail, specifically one that has a spiral shell. This word is used in a more literary or poetic context rather than everyday conversation, often found in classical texts or descriptions of nature.

Strokes16Radical虫
Cultural Note

In Chinese literature, snails are often symbols of patience and resilience, frequently appearing in poetry that reflects on the natural world. This character can evoke imagery of calmness and a slow pace of life.

Memory Tip

Imagine a snail (螄) spiraling down a colorful slide. The spiral shell (the key feature of the snail) looks like a coiled spring, connecting visually to the character's form. Picture the snail saying 'sī' as it slides down, emphasizing the sound.

Meanings of 螄

sī(si1)
1a snail with a spiral shell
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 螄

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

Podcast: 螄

JasonAmy

Podcast: 螄

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 螄

Usage Notes

Although 螄 is not commonly used in everyday speech, learners might confuse it with similar-sounding characters. It's important to remember that this character is more formal and mainly appears in literary contexts, thus avoiding casual usage.

HSK Study Tips

While 螄 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it can help learners connect with other animal-related words. Students should focus on the structure and pronunciation, as well as recognizing how it fits into more complex descriptions of nature.

Common Mistakes

Learners might mistakenly use 螄 in casual conversation, where more common terms like 蜗牛 would be appropriate. An example of a wrong usage might be, '我今天看到一个螄。' ('I saw a 螄 today.'), instead of '我今天看到一个蜗牛。'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 螄

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Etymology of 螄

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

mollusk

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 螄

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

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

Want the full history of 螄? 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 螄?

Decomposition of 螄

IDS Structure⿰虫師
螄Full Character
=
虫chong2
left
師shi1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 螄?

How to say a snail with a spiral shell in Chinese

“a snail with a spiral shell” in Chinese is螄sī

The character 螄 (sī) refers to a type of snail, specifically one that has a spiral shell. This word is used in a more literary or poetic context rather than everyday conversation, often found in classical texts or descriptions of nature.

When to use 螄

Although 螄 is not commonly used in everyday speech, learners might confuse it with similar-sounding characters. It's important to remember that this character is more formal and mainly appears in literary contexts, thus avoiding casual usage.

What learners get wrong

Learners might mistakenly use 螄 in casual conversation, where more common terms like 蜗牛 would be appropriate. An example of a wrong usage might be, '我今天看到一个螄。' ('I saw a 螄 today.'), instead of '我今天看到一个蜗牛。'

Write 螄

螄

Practice writing 螄 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 螄

Words Containing This Character2
螺蛳river snail螺螄
蛳sīsnail螄
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 螺蛳 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 螄

No, 螄 is more often seen in literary texts and is not commonly used in everyday conversation.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 螄?

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.