蝕 meaning and stroke order
To nibble at, to erode; an eclipse
How to write 蝕, stroke by stroke
14 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 蝕
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to nibble away at sth
- to eat into
- to erode
How 蝕 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. An insect 虫 bite 飠; 飠 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 虫 (insect), shared by 197 characters on this site.
How to remember 蝕
On the left is 飠, the food side, and on the right is 虫 (chóng), an insect. Picture a bug eating away at something bit by bit until it wears down, which is what 蝕 (shí) means.
蝕 means to eat into or erode slowly, and it usually appears in compounds like 腐蝕 (fǔshí, to corrode) and 侵蝕 (qīnshí, to erode). In mainland simplified writing it is written 蚀. Example: 海水侵蝕了岩石。(Hǎishuǐ qīnshí le yánshí.) Seawater eroded the rocks.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 蝕 with 飾 (shì, to decorate), since both have the 飠 side and sound similar. Check the right side: 蝕 has the insect 虫, while 飾 does not, and 飾 is fourth tone.
Common words with 蝕
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 蝕
How many strokes are in 蝕?
蝕 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 蝕 mean?
蝕 (shí) means to nibble at, to erode; an eclipse. A common word with it is 腐蚀 (fǔshí), meaning "corrosion; to corrode (degrade chemically)".
How do you pronounce 蝕?
蝕 is pronounced shí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 蝕?
The radical of 蝕 is 虫, which carries the idea of "insect". Dictionaries list 蝕 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 蝕?
蝕 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 蚀, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is it 日蝕 or 日食 for a solar eclipse?
Both are seen, but 日食 (rìshí) is the standard form in mainland China today, and 日蝕 is treated as a variant. Lunar eclipse works the same way: 月食 or 月蝕 (yuèshí).
Can 蝕 be used figuratively?
Yes. 腐蝕 and 侵蝕 can describe something harmful slowly wearing down people or institutions, such as bad influences corrupting someone. There is also the set phrase 蝕本 (shíběn), meaning to lose one's capital in business.