蛇
shé/ʂɤ³⁵/
The English word "snake" can be translated into Chinese as 蛇 (shé). If unsure, use 蛇. Wiktionary also lists 長蟲 / 长虫 (chángchong, chángchóng).
Meaning: legless reptile (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 蛇 | shé | /ʂɤ³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ʂɤɻ³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Erhua, Sinological IPA, 蛇兒 / 蛇儿) |
|
| 長蟲 / 长虫 | chángchong, chángchóng | ||
| 蛇 | chôa | /t͡sua²³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines, Medan, Sinological IPA, Kaohsiung, General Taiwanese, Yongchun) /t͡sua¹³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines, Medan, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese, Yongchun) |
Hokkien |
All forms refer to the legless reptile. 蛇 is the standard term, while 长虫 (chángchong) is a colloquial way to refer to the animal.
What does it mean word for word?
The colloquial term 长虫 (chángchong) literally means "long insect".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Dungan, the words шә, чончун and мон are used. In Hokkien, the term 蛇 (chôa) is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting snakes, use the measure word 条 (tiáo) because it is used for long, thin and flexible objects, such as in the phrase 一条蛇 (a snake).
How do you pronounce it?
The Hokkien word 蛇 is pronounced chôa (/ʂɤ³⁵/).
When do people say it?
The word 蛇 is used in the Chinese zodiac to represent the Year of the Snake.
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, the snake is sometimes called the 'little dragon' 小龙 because of their similar appearance and the mythical connection between them.
- The character 蛇 contains the radical 虫, which means 'insect'. In ancient Chinese, this category included almost all crawling creatures, including snakes, worms and lizards.
- The term 蛇 can appear in the classical expression 委蛇 (wēishé), which describes someone being winding, compliant, or graceful.
Examples in context
- 蛇年开始了。The Year of the Snake has begun.This sentence shows the use of 蛇 in the context of the Chinese zodiac.Tatoeba #3377935 by GlossaMatik, translation #13542206 by LeviHighway
- 蛇吃掉了鳄鱼。The snake ate the crocodile.This sentence shows 蛇 being used to describe an animal eating another.Tatoeba #7056766 by ydcok, translation #3076652 by Hybrid
- 我的寂寞是一条蛇。My loneliness is a snake.This sentence shows a metaphorical use of 蛇.Tatoeba #1361990 by sadhen, translation #13542192 by LeviHighway
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jiayi and Junjie are hiking in a forest.
- 佳怡 Jiayi看！草丛里有一条蛇。Kàn! Cǎocóng lǐ yǒu yī tiáo shé.Look! There is a snake in the grass.
- 俊杰 Junjie那是蛇吗？好可怕。Nà shì shé ma? Hǎo kěpà.Is that a snake? So scary.
- 佳怡 Jiayi别动，它可能是一条小蛇。Bié dòng, tā kěnéng shì yī tiáo xiǎo shé.Don't move, it might be a small snake.
- 俊杰 Junjie幸好我们离它很远。Xìnghǎo wǒmen lí tā hěn yuǎn.Luckily we are far away from it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snake” translations and entries 蛇, 蛇, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 蛇, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
