蜕 meaning and stroke order
To molt
How to write 蜕, stroke by stroke
13 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 蜕
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- skin cast off during molting
- exuvia
- to pupate
- to molt
- to slough
- to cast off an old skin or shell
How 蜕 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. An insect 虫 changing 兑 its skin; 兑 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 虫 (insect), shared by 197 characters on this site.
How to remember 蜕
On the left is 虫 (chóng), a bug or insect, and on the right is 兑 (duì), which suggests changing or exchanging. Picture an insect exchanging its old skin for a new one, and you have 蜕 (tuì), to molt.
蜕 is rarely used alone in everyday speech. It mostly appears in words like 蜕变 (tuìbiàn) and 蜕皮 (tuìpí, to shed skin). 蜕变 is often used figuratively for a big personal or social change, as in 他经历了一次蜕变。(Tā jīnglìle yí cì tuìbiàn.) He went through a transformation.
Common mistake: Learners often read 蜕 as duì because of the 兑 component, but the correct sound is tuì with a fourth tone. Also do not confuse it with 脱 (tuō, to take off), which shares the right side but uses the 月 flesh radical.
Common words with 蜕
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 蜕变 | tuìbiàn | to transform; to morph |
Questions about 蜕
How many strokes are in 蜕?
蜕 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 蜕 mean?
蜕 (tuì) means to molt. A common word with it is 蜕变 (tuìbiàn), meaning "to transform; to morph".
How do you pronounce 蜕?
蜕 is pronounced tuì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 蜕?
The radical of 蜕 is 虫, which carries the idea of "insect". Dictionaries list 蜕 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 蜕?
The traditional form of 蜕 is 蛻. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 蜕 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 蜕变 and 改变?
改变 (gǎibiàn) is a general word for any change. 蜕变 suggests a deep, complete transformation, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, and sounds more literary.
How do you say a snake sheds its skin in Chinese?
You can say 蛇蜕皮 (shé tuìpí). The shed skin itself is called 蛇蜕 (shétuì), which is also a term used in traditional Chinese medicine.