蛭 (zhì): leech

Measure Word

一条蛭 tiáo

Meanings

1 leech
2 fluke (parasitic flatworm)
3 Hirudinea (zoological class)

Characters

蛭

zhì

leech; fluke

Examples

稻田里有蛭。

Dàotián lǐ yǒu zhì.

There are leeches in the rice paddy.

蛭石是一种常见的园艺材料。

Zhì shí shì yī zhǒng chángjiàn de yuányì cáiliào.

Vermiculite is a common gardening material.

Tips

history

Famously in 《吴越春秋》, King Hui of Chu (楚惠王) accidentally ate a leech in his cold soup; he swallowed it rather than punish the cooks, and afterwards (legend says) was cured of an old illness — recorded as 楚惠王食寒菹得蛭. The character also names 蛭石 (vermiculite), so called because the mineral expands and curls when heated, like a writhing leech.

memory

虫 (insect/worm radical) + 至 (arrive) = a worm that arrives and clings — i.e. a leech.

Components

radical

虫 chóng

insect; worm

Left-side insect radical, depicting a coiled creature. Anchors 蛭 in the soft-bodied creature family — 蛭 specifically names the leech, a freshwater segmented worm that latches onto skin to feed on blood. Same family: 蛇 (snake), 蚯 (earthworm), 蚂 (ant). The radical does the heavy meaning-lifting here.

phonetic

至 zhì

to arrive (here phonetic)

Right side 至 supplies the sound — exact zhì. Originally 至 depicted an arrow landing on the ground, meaning 'to arrive at, to reach.' Pure phonetic, but the 'landing and sticking' image suits the leech's biology nicely. Same phonetic: 致, 室.