虾

há

2 readings · tap one to hear it

shrimp; prawn

Sound it out + + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

虫 meaning “insect” + 下 sound ( xià )

Components 虫下

shrimp · Heisig RSH #510

虫 insect + 下 below

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
大明虾	dà míng xiā	king prawn
小龙虾	xiǎo lóng xiā	crayfish; (esp.) red swamp crayfish 克氏原螯蝦\|克氏原螯虾[Ke4 shi4 yuan2 ao2 xia1]
虾虎鱼科	xiā hǔ yú kē	Gobiidae (suborder of perch)
小虾米	xiǎo xiā mi	shrimp; fig. small fry; minor player
对虾科	duì xiā kē	penaeidae (the prawn or shrimp family)
虾红素	xiā hóng sù	astaxanthin
皮皮虾	pí pí xiā	mantis shrimp
虾青素	xiā qīng sù	astaxanthin
虾虎鱼	xiā hǔ yú	goby (flat fish, Gobiidae)
虾子	xiā zǐ	shrimp roe; shrimp eggs
虾子	xiā zi	shrimp
大虾	dà xiā	prawn; (Internet slang) expert; whiz
小虾	xiǎo xiā	shrimp
软脚虾	ruǎn jiǎo xiā	weakling; coward
虾线	xiā xiàn	digestive tract of a shrimp; sand vein
明虾	míng xiā	prawn
龙虾	lóng xiā	lobster
鱼虾	yú xiā	fish and shrimp; aquatic produce
对虾	duì xiā	prawn; shrimp
虾皮	xiā pí	small dried shrimp

Characters sharing the sound component 下 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
下 sound part	xià	below, underneath; inferior; to bring down; next
吓	xià	to scare, to frighten; to threaten, to intimidate