蛇

蛇 U+86C7, 蛇 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-86C7 ← 蛆 [U+86C6] CJK Unified Ideographs 蛈 → [U+86C8]

Stroke order

蛇 (Kangxi radical 142, 虫+5, 11 strokes, cangjie input 中戈十心 (LIJP), four-corner 5311₁, composition ⿰虫它)

• 㵃, 𨫯, 𬠶, 𰣿

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1080, character 20
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 32964
• Dae Jaweon: page 1548, character 36
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2845, character 8
• Unihan data for U+86C7

simp. and trad.		蛇
alternative forms		它 虵 𢕷 𣙛 𤜣 它 虵 𢕷 𣙛 𤜣 𥝀 𧉮

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *l̥ʰaːl, *ɦljaːl, *lal): semantic 虫 + phonetic 它 (OC *l̥ʰaːl). 它 was also the original pictographic form of this character.

Unclear. Various theories have been proposed:

• Starostin sets up Proto-Sino-Tibetan *lăj (“snake”), comparing this with Mizo hlai-ba (“a species of snake”) and Jingpho palai (“a species of iguana”). He also compares it to Proto-Kam-Sui *dzuːi² (“snake”). Schuessler (2007) considers these Tibeto-Burman forms to be unrelated.
• Matisoff (2003) relates it to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-b/m-ruːl (“snake”), but this comparison is no longer held in STEDT.
• Sagart (2005) relates it to Proto-Loloish *lay¹/² (“python”), which STEDT derives from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g-lja(ŋ/k) (“python”), as well as Proto-Austronesian *bulay (“snake”). Comparison with the Austronesian form has been challenged by Orlandi (2018).
• Schuessler (2007) notes similarity to Proto-Hlai *ljaːɦ (“snake”) (from Pre-Hlai *Cilaːɦ) as well as to Austronesian words, such as Rade ala (“snake”), but considers the Kra-Dai forms to be possible borrowings from Chinese. (He does not seem to address the Austronesian forms directly.) In his view, a more likely relationship is with the /-lé/ in Khmer រលេ (rɔlei, “sinuously, in a twisting or wiggling manner (as a snake swimming)”). In Old Chinese, this also provides the second syllable in 委蛇 (OC *qrol lal, “winding; compliant; graceful”). 蛇 (“the winding thing”) is then a euphemism for common Sino-Tibetan 虺 (OC *hŋlulʔ, “snake”) for taboo reasons.
• Zhengzhang (2011) relates it to Proto-Austronesian *SulaR (“snake”).

蛇

1. snake; serpent (Classifier: 條／条 m c; 尾 mn)
   • c. 3rd century BCE, 荀子 [Xunzi], 荀子 [Xunzi]:

     蟹六跪而二螯，非蛇蟺之穴無可寄託者，用心躁也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     蟹六跪而二螯，非蛇蟺之穴无可寄托者，用心躁也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     Xiè liù guì ér èr áo, fēi shé shàn zhī xué wú kě jì tuō zhě, yòng xīn zào yě. [Pinyin]

     A crab has six feet and two pincers, but it cannot live without the holes of snakes and eels, it is because it has an uncalm heart.

   • 1919, 《新舊約全書：官話和合譯本》 [Mandarin Bible, Union Version], Shanghai: American Bible Society, 創世記 [Genesis] 3:13:

     耶和華上帝對女人說、你作的是甚麽事呢。女人說、那蛇引誘我、我就喫了。 [MSC, trad.]
     耶和华上帝对女人说、你作的是什么事呢。女人说、那蛇引诱我、我就吃了。 [MSC, simp.]

     Yēhéhuá Shàngdì duì nǚrén shuō, nǐ zuò de shì shènme shì ne. Nǚrén shuō, nà shé yǐnyòu wǒ, wǒ jiù chī le. [Pinyin]

     And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

2. illegal immigrant

   人蛇  ―  rénshé  ―  illegal immigrant

   蛇頭／蛇头  ―  shétóu  ―  people smuggler

3. (Cantonese) to shirk one's duty; to be lazy on the job
4. (Cantonese, poker) straight
5. (regional, pathology) herpes zoster; shingles

   生蛇 [Cantonese]  ―  saang¹ se⁴ [Jyutping]  ―  to have shingles

   蛇針／蛇针 [Cantonese]  ―  se⁴ zam¹ [Jyutping]  ―  shingles vaccine

6. a surname

Classifier 尾 (wěi) is also used in Taiwanese Mandarin, due to the influence of Hokkien.

• (snake):

• (straight): 順子／顺子 (shùnzi)
• (shingles):

Wutunhua: shai

蛇

1. used in 蛇蛇 (“facile (of words); calmly; leisurely”)
2. used in 委蛇 (wēiyí, “winding; meandering; pretending interest and sympathy”)

From English sir.

蛇

1. (Cantonese) sir (used when addressing policemen or male schoolteachers)

• (Chinese zodiac signs) (~年) 鼠 (shǔ), 牛 (niú), 虎 (hǔ), 兔 (tù), 龍／龙 (lóng), 蛇 (shé), 馬／马 (mǎ), 羊 (yáng), 猴 (hóu), 雞／鸡 (jī), 狗 (gǒu), 豬／猪 (zhū) ^{(Category: zh:Chinese zodiac signs)}

• “蛇”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A03624
• “蛇”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

(Jōyō kanji)

• Go-on: じゃ (ja, Jōyō)^{←じや (zya, historical)}、た (ta)、い (i)
• Kan-on: しゃ (sha)^{←しや (sya, historical)}、た (ta)、い (i)
• Kan’yō-on: だ (da, Jōyō)
• Kun: へび (hebi, 蛇, Jōyō)、くちなわ (kuchinawa, 蛇)^{←くちなは (kutinafa, 蛇, historical)}

Kanji in this term
蛇
へび Grade: S
kun'yomi

/pemi/ → /ɸemi/ → /ɸebi/ → /hebi/

Shift from older hemi (see below).^[1][2] The medial /m/ lost its nasal quality to become a plosive.

Appears in texts from the 1300s.^[1]

• (Tokyo) へび [héꜜbì] (Atamadaka – [1])^[3][4][5]
• IPA^(key): [he̞bʲi]

蛇(へび) or 蛇(ヘビ) • (hebi) 

1. a snake, serpent
   • 1999 March 6, “デビル・スネーク [Devil Snake]”, in Starter(スターター) Box(ボックス), Konami:

     目(め)が一(ひと)つしかないヘビ。冷(れい)気(き)をはき出(だ)し、相(あい)手(て)を氷(こおり)づけにする。

     Me ga hitotsu shikanai hebi. Reiki o hakidashi, aite o kōrizuke ni suru.

     A single-eyed snake that breathes out frigid air to freeze its opponents.

   • 1999 May 27, “生(い)き血(ち)をすするもの [Lifeblood-Slurping One]”, in Vol.3, Konami:

     暗(くら)闇(やみ)の中(なか)、道(みち)行(ゆ)く人(ひと)々(びと)を襲(おそ)う人(ひと)型(がた)の吸(きゅう)血(けつ)ヘビ。

     Kurayami no naka, michiyuku hitobito o osou hitogata no kyūketsu hebi.

     A humanoid blood-sucking serpent who assaults passerby from the dark.

   • 2000 May 1, “グラップラー [Grappler]”, in BOOSTER 7, Konami:

     ずるがしこいヘビ。太(ふと)くて長(なが)い身(しん)体(たい)で締(し)め付(つ)ける攻(こう)撃(げき)に注(ちゅう)意(い)！

     Zurugashikoi hebi. Futokute nagai shintai de shimetsukeru kōgeki ni chūi!

     Watch out! This devious serpent will grapple you tight with its long and thick body!

2. a snake (treacherous person)

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as ヘビ (hebi).

• 蛇(へび)に嚙(か)まれて朽(く)ち縄(なわ)に怖(お)じる (hebi ni kamarete kuchinawa ni ojiru)
• 蛇(へび)に見(み)込(こ)まれた蛙(かえる) (hebi ni mikomareta kaeru)
• 蛇(じゃ)の道(みち)は蛇(へび) (ja no michi wa hebi)

Kanji in this term
蛇
へみ Grade: S
irregular

⟨pe₂mi₁⟩ → */pəɨmʲi/ → /pemi/ → /ɸemi/ → /hemi/

From Old Japanese.

Derivation theories include:

• Possibly cognate with Korean 뱀 (baem, “snake”).
• Possibly related to, or influenced by, Old Japanese-derived verb 食む (hamu, “to bite”).
• Possibly also related to 波布 (habu, “a kind of poisonous pit viper native to Okinawa”).

蛇(へみ) • (hemi) 

1. (obsolete) a snake, serpent

• 巳(み) (mi, the “snake” in astrology)

Kanji in this term
蛇
くちなわ Grade: S
kun'yomi

Extension of 朽ち縄 (kuchinawa, literally “rotten rope”),^[1][2][4][5] as such a rope resembles the appearance of a snake.

朽ち縄 (kuchinawa) itself is from くち (kuchi, 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb くちる (“to rot”)) + 縄(なわ) (nawa, “rope”).

• (Tokyo) くちなわ [kùchínáwá] (Heiban – [0])^[4][3][5]
• IPA^(key): [kɯ̟̊t͡ɕina̠β̞a̠]

蛇(くちなわ) • (kuchinawa) ^{←くちなは (kutinafa)?}

1. (obsolete) a snake, serpent

• 蛇(くちなわ)苺(いちご) (kuchinawa ichigo)
• 烏(からす)蛇(くちなわ) (karasu kuchinawa)
• 黒(くろ)蛇(くちなわ) (kurokuchinawa)

Kanji in this term
蛇
じゃ Grade: S
goon

From Middle Chinese 蛇 (MC zyae).

• (Tokyo) じゃ [jáꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])^[4]
• IPA^(key): [d͡ʑa̠]

蛇(じゃ) • (ja) ^{←じや (zya)?}

1. a snake, serpent
2. short for 蛇之助 (janosuke): a heavy drinker

蛇(じゃ) • (ja) ^{←じや (zya)?}

1. snake, serpent
2. snakelike, snaky

Kanji in this term
蛇
だ Grade: S
kan'yōon

Confusion of pronunciation with 陀(だ) (da) via phonetic radical 它.

• IPA^(key): [da̠]

蛇(だ) • (da) 

1. snake, serpent

Kanji in this term
蛇
い Grade: S
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 蛇 (MC ye).

• IPA^(key): [i]

蛇(い) • (i) 

1. winding, meandering

• 委(い)蛇(い) (ii)

From Middle Chinese 蛇 (MC zyae).

Historical Readings
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
	Gloss (hun)	Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[2]	ᄇᆡ얌〯 (Yale: pòyyǎm)	샤 (Yale: syà)

蛇 (eumhun 뱀 사 (baem sa)) or 蛇 (eumhun 긴 뱀 사 (gin baem sa))

1. snake; long snake

From Middle Chinese 蛇 (MC ye).

蛇 (eumhun 구불구불 이 (gubulgubul i))

1. winding, meandering

(Jōyō kanji)

• On (unclassified): じゃ (ja, 蛇)、じゃー (jā, 蛇)
• Kun: はぶ (habu, 蛇)、ふぃーばー (fībā, 蛇)、ふぃーぶ (fību, 蛇)

From Middle Chinese 蛇 (MC zyae).

• (Shuri-Naha) じゃあ [jàá] (Heiban - [0])
• IPA^(key): [ʑaː]

蛇(じゃー) (jā) 

1. a snake, serpent

• 蛇(じゃ)皮(ふぃ) (jafi, “snakeskin”)

Cognate with Japanese 蛇 (hebi).

• (Shuri-Naha) ふぃいぶ [fìíbú] (Heiban - [0])
• IPA^(key): [ɸiːbu]

蛇(ふぃーぶ) (fību) 

1. (rare) a snake, serpent

(Jōyō kanji)

Cognate with Japanese 蛇 (hebi).

蛇(ひび) (hibi) 

1. a snake, serpent

Derivation theories include:

• Possibly cognate with modern Korean 뱀 (baem, “snake”).
• Possibly related to or influenced by the verb 食む (pamu, “to bite”).

• 大蛇 (woroti)

蛇 (pe₂mi₁) (kana へみ)

1. a snake, serpent
   • 711–712, Kojiki, upper volume (Ōkuninushi no mikoto):

     於是、其妻須勢理毘賣命、以蛇比禮_二字以音授其夫云「其蛇將咋以此比禮三擧打撥」。

     Now the mighty one Lady Bold gave her husband a scarf for the snakes and spoke to him, saying: “When the snakes try to bite you, wave this scarf three times to drive them off.”^[1]

• 四つの蛇 (yo₂tu no₂ pe₂mi₁)

• Japanese: 蛇 (hemi → hebi)

蛇: Hán Nôm readings: xà, thạch

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.