蛇

• Pinyin: shé
• Hanzi breakdown: 蛇 = 虫 (insect/creature) + 它 (it, originally pictograph of a snake)

Meaning

Snake; serpent.

Refers to the reptile, one of the twelve Chinese zodiac animals. Snakes have complex symbolism in Chinese culture — associated with wisdom and cunning, but also danger and evil. The idiom 画蛇添足 (drawing legs on a snake) means doing something superfluous.

Examples

1. 我最怕蛇了，看到就会尖叫。 I'm terrified of snakes — I scream when I see one.
2. 这条蛇有毒，被咬了要立刻去医院。 This snake is venomous — if you get bitten, go to the hospital immediately.
3. 他属蛇，今年是本命年。 He was born in the Year of the Snake, and this year is his zodiac year.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, zodiac, fear/danger

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你属什么？我属蛇。(What's your zodiac? I'm a snake.)
• 小心，草丛里可能有蛇。(Be careful — there might be snakes in the grass.)

Don't Say

• 他是一条蛇 — calling someone a snake implies they're treacherous; very insulting

Origin & History

Pictographic character depicting a snake, with 虫 (insect/creature) as the radical indicating it's a creature.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal