Kanji 蛇: snake, serpent, hard drinker
Key takeaways
Kanji 蛇: snake, serpent, hard drinker. Readings and core meaning.
See vocabulary and examples below.
Kanji at a glance
Core meaning / core image
Core meaning: 蛇
snake, serpent, hard drinker
Kanji structure breakdown
Mnemonic story
Mnemonic story
This character combines the insect radical (虫), which historically represented reptiles, with a component (它) that originally depicted a snake. Imagine the winding body and head of a serpent. In Japanese, a faucet is called 'jaguchi' (蛇口), literally meaning 'snake mouth,' which is a helpful way to remember this kanji.
