蛤 meaning and stroke order
Clam
How to write 蛤, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 蛤
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) clam
- used in 蛤蚧[ge2 jie4]
- used in 蛤蟆[ha2 ma5]
How 蛤 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mollusk.
虫 gives the meaning and 合 hints at the sound.
Radical: 虫 (insect), shared by 197 characters on this site.
How to remember 蛤
The left side 虫 marks small creatures, and the right side 合 (hé, to close) gives the sound. Picture a clam, a little creature whose two shells close together like 合.
蛤 has two readings. As gé it appears in 蛤蜊 (gélí, clam), and as há it appears in 蛤蟆 (háma, frog or toad). Example: 我们晚上吃蛤蜊。(Wǒmen wǎnshang chī gélí.) We are eating clams tonight.
Common mistake: Learners often read every 蛤 as há, but in 蛤蜊 (clam) it is gé. Also do not confuse it with 哈 (hā), which has the mouth radical 口 instead of 虫.
Common words with 蛤
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 蛤蜊 | gélí | clam | |
| 蛤蟆 | háma | frog; toad |
Questions about 蛤
How many strokes are in 蛤?
蛤 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 蛤 mean?
蛤 (há) means clam. A common word with it is 蛤蜊 (gélí), meaning "clam".
How do you pronounce 蛤?
蛤 is pronounced há, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 蛤?
The radical of 蛤 is 虫, which carries the idea of "insect". Dictionaries list 蛤 under this radical.
Is 蛤蟆 a frog or a toad?
In everyday speech 蛤蟆 (háma) can mean either, though it often suggests a toad. The more specific word for frog is 青蛙 (qīngwā), and for toad it is 癞蛤蟆 (làiháma).
Why does 蛤 have the bug radical if a clam is not an insect?
In Chinese, 虫 covers many small creatures, not just insects. It appears in characters for worms, snakes, frogs and shellfish, such as 蛇 (shé, snake) and 蚌 (bàng, mussel).