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Radicals 部首bù shǒu

     In order to learn Chinese characters more effectively, one should know well the radicals, the basic components of the Chinese characters. A Chinese radical, a so-called 部首(bù shǒu), literally a section header, is a graphical component of a Chinese character which is traditionally listed in a Chinese dictionary. The component is often a semantic indicator, indicating the meaning of the character. While in some cases,  the radical may be a phonetic component or even an artificially extracted portion of the character.   
     By knowing the radicals well, one can recognize, remember, write or even reproduce the characters more easily and efficiently.  The following is a selection of forty radicals one should know and practice well when starting to learn Chinese characters. (40 Radicals are compiled with the same order at Integrated Chinese Level 1 Part 1. The smaller pictures of Hanzi were edited from the textbook of New Practical Chinese Reader 1.; while the bigger pictures and the description were taken from The Way of Chinese Characters "汉字之道“)
Picture
Picture
Picture

Click on each Radical in the following and view its stroke order.


Radical

Hanzi 

Pinyin

Translation

Example

Pronunciation

 1.人 or​ 亻
Picture
 rén 
 Person
 今、他
Picture
Pictograph. 
​In the Oracle-Bone and Bronze Inscriptions, the character 人 presents the profile of a person with a head, an arched back, arms and legs, possibly indicating a figure from an early stage of human evolution. In Regular Script, 人 looks like someone with two rather long legs. As a radical, 人 often appears as 亻, and is often used in characters related to human beings and their activities, e.g., 你(n
ǐ, you), 他(tā, he; him), 住(zhù, to live), and 休(xiū​, to rest).

2. 刀 or刂
Picture
 dāo 
knife
分、到
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In ancient writing systems, the character 刀 resembles a knife with the upper part as the handle and the lower part as the edge. In Regular Script, the handle is shortened so that it becomes almost unnoticeable. Characters with the knife radical 刂usually have something to do with knives or cutting, such as 别 (bié,to separate), 刺 (cì,to stab), and 利 (lì, sharp).

3. 力
Picture
lì 
power
加、助
Picture
Pictograph.
​In both the Oracle-Bone and Bronze Inscriptions, the character 力 resembles an ancient plow, with the upper part as the handle and the lower part as the plowshare. Since plowing requires great physical strength, 力 means "strength". In Regular script, 力 is similar in form to 刀 (dāo, knife) except that its top sticks out.

4. 又
Picture
yòu 
right hand; again
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In its ancient form, the character 又 was shaped like a right hand,  meaning "right hand." Today 又 is used to mean "again", "also", "in addition," "both...and ...," etc. 

5. 口
Picture
kǒu 
mouth
叫、可
Picture
Pictograph.
​
The character 口 looks like an open mouth. Characters with the mouth radical are often associated with the movement of the mouth, e.g., 吃 (chī, to eat), 喝 (hē, to drink), 唱 (chàng, to sing), and 叫 (jiào, too shout).

6. 囗
Picture
wéi
enclose
回、因
Picture
Pictograph. 
​
囗 represents the periphery or border of an area. Characters relating to boundaries often include the radical 囗, such as 国 (guó, country, state), 园 (yuán, garden, park), 图 (tú, map). Note that 囗 is larger than the radical 口 (kǒu, mouth), indicating a large area that can contain many objects.

7. 土
Picture
tǔ
earth
在、坐
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In the Oracle-Bone Inscriptions, the upper part of 土 represents a small hill or mound of soil, while the bottom line stands for the ground. In Regular Script, a cross replaces the mound.

8. 夕
Picture
xī
sunset
外、多
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In its ancient forms, the character 夕 resembles a half moon, meaning "sunset', "dusk", "evening", or "night". Sometimes the moon can be seen rising from the east at dusk.

9. 大
Picture
dà 
big
天、太
Picture
Pictograph.
​In the ancient writing systems, the character 大 portrays  a figure standing with arms stretching out and legs spread out. This posture seems to suggest that humans are the greatest creatures on earth. The primary meanings of 大 are "big", "large", "great", "age", and "older".

10. 女
Picture
nǚ 
woman

 婆、好

Picture
Pictograph. 
In the Oracle-Bone Inscriptions, the character 女 depicts a woman kneeling with her arms lowered and hands clasped on her lap, reflecting the lower social status of women in ancient times. In later forms, the kneeling component is transformed as women are recognized as having a status more equal to men. The Regular Script forms of 女 and 大 are similar, but 女 emphasizes the female bosom.

11. 子
Picture
zǐ 
son
字、孩
Picture
Pictograph.
​In its ancient form, the character 子 shows a baby swaddles in cloth, with its head sticking up and arms stretching out. In Regular Script, the head of the baby is represented by a horizontal hook instead of a round shape. 子 is used as suffix after some nouns, such as 儿子(ér zi).

12. 寸
Picture
cùn
inch
寺、封
Picture
Explicit Character.
​
In Seal Script., 寸 combines 又(yòu) with 一. 又 means "right hand" while 一 indicates the section of the forearm one each from the wrist, where a traditional Chinese doctor would feel a patients' pulse and diagnose ailments.

13. 小
Picture
xiǎo
 small
少、尖
Picture
Associative Compound.
In the Oracle-Bone and Bronze Inscriptions, the character 小 consists of three dots, like three tiny grains of sand. In its later forms, 小 resembles a knife (represented by the vertical hook in the middle) cutting something into two smaller pieces.

14. 工
Picture
gōng 
labor, work
左、差
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In the ancient writing systems, the character 工 looks like a carpenter's square or ruler. The original meanings of 工 was "tool", from which derived the meanings "work", "labor", "skill", "craftsmanship", and "construction project".

15. 幺
Picture
yāo
tiny, small
幻、右
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In the Oracle-Bone and Bronze Inscriptions, the character 幺represents a wisp of silk. Since a wisp is a small quantity, 幺extends to mean "small", "tiny", or "youngest".

16. 弓
Picture
gōng 
bow
引、弟
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In the Oracle-Bone Inscriptions, the character 弓depicts a bow without its string, which is how a bow should be stored. Just like human beings, bows need time for relaxation!

17. 心 or 忄
Picture
xīn 
heart
想、忙
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In its ancient forms, the character 心 represents a heart. There are two forms of the heart radical 心 and 忄, 心 is usually positioned at the bottom of a character as in 想 (xiǎng, to think) and 愁 (chóu, to worry), while 忄is on the left, as in 忙 (máng, busy) and 怕 (pà, fear). Characters with heart radicals are often associated with feelings or other mental activities.

18. 戈
Picture
gē 
dagger-axe
我、或
Picture
Pictograph.
​
The dagger-axe 戈 is a weapon from the Shang (ca. 1600-C.1100 B.C.) and Zhou Dynasties (ca.1100-221 B.C.) In the Oracle-Bone and Bronze Inscriptions, the character 戈delineates such a weapon with a long shaft and a blade at the end. 戈is used as a component of many characters, such as 我(wǒ, I).

19. 手 or 扌
Picture
shǒu 
hand
拿、打
Picture
Pictograph.
​
The ancient form of the character 手 looks like an outspread hand, with five fingers comprising the upper part, and the forearm below. Characters with the hand radical 扌are often related to acts performed with the hands, e.g. 打 (dǎ, to beat), 推 (tuī, to push), and 擦 (cā, to wipe)

20. 日
Picture
rì 
sun
早、明
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In the Oracle-Bone and Bronze Inscriptions, 日 represents the sun. Since the sun rises daily, 日 extended to mean "day". Regular Script is also called "Square Script" and usually there are no round components, so the character 日 in regular Script is drawn as a rectangle with a horizontal line through its middle, which indicates that the sun is not just a circle but a solid thing, and distinguishes 日 from the character 口。

21. 月
Picture
 yuè 
moon
期、朗
Picture
Pictograph.
​In the Oracle-Bone and Bronze Inscriptions, the character 月 depicts a crescent moon, which maybe compared to a large eye, following and watching people quietly at night. The dot or lines in the character 月 represent the darker areas of the moon's surface. Given that the moon's orbit takes approximately thirty days, the extended meaning of 月 is "month". When used as a radical, 月 can mean "moon" or "flesh". For example, the characters 腿 (tuǐ, leg), 脸 (liǎn, face), 脑 (nǎo, brain), and 脚 (jiǎo, foot) all contain the flesh radical 月 (derived from 肉,ròu)

22. 木
Picture
mù
wood
李、杯
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In its ancient forms, the character 木 depicts a tree with branches on top and roots at the bottom. "Tree" is the original meaning of 木,while extended meanings today are "wood" or "lumber".

23. 水 or 氵
Picture
shuǐ 
water
汞、洗
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In its ancient form, the character 水 looks like a flowing body of water. The line in the middle represents the main stream and the dots on the sides look like the spray or waves of the water. In Regular Script, the dots extend into lines, resembling the tributaries of a river. The original meaning of 水 was "river", but later it came to mean "water".

24. 火 or 灬
Picture
huǒ
fire
烧、热
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In the Oracle-Bone Inscriptions,  the character 火 represents flames. In Regular Script, 火 resembles flames on firewood. There are two forms of the fire radical: 火 and 灬, as in 烫 (tàng, scalding), 烧 (shāo, burn), and 热 (rè, hot).

25. 田
Picture
tián
field
男、留
Picture
Pictograph.
​
The character 田 depicts plots of land, divided by vertical and horizontal lines, as if seen fro above. Today it is also a common surname.

26. 目
Picture
mù
 eye
看、睡
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In the Oracle-Bone and Bronze Inscriptions, the character 目 represents an eye. In Seal Script, this eye becomes vertical and the curves in the character are straightened. 目 is foten used as a radical in characters related to eyes, e.g., 看 (kàn, see), 瞎 (xiā, blind), and 睡 (shuì, sleep). The extended meanings of 目 are "item", "catalogue", "goal", "title"...etc.

27. 示 or 礻
Picture
shì 
show
票、社
Picture
Pictograph.
​In the Oracle-Bone Inscriptions, the character 示 looks like a T-shaped stone table upon which sacrificial offerings to gods or ancestors were placed. In Seal Script, more lines are added beneath, as it to make the altar more stable. In combinations, 示 usually means "to show" but its radical form 礻often appears in characters related to religious ritual, such as 礼 (lǐ, rite), and 祝 (zhù, pray).

28. 糸
Picture
mì 
fine silk
素、红
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In the Oracle-Bone and Bronze Inscriptions, 糸 depicts a silk string. Characters with the silk radical 糸 often relate to the process of making cloth, including dyeing, such as 织 (zhī, weave), 线 (xiàn, thread), 红 (hóng, red), and 绿 (lǜ, green). In Regular Script, the character 糸 combines 幺(yāo, tiny) and 小 (xiǎo, small).

29. 耳
Picture
ěr
ear
聋、聊
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In the Oracle-Bone and Bronze Inscriptions, the character 耳 delineates the contour of an ear. In Regular Script, 耳 still somewhat resembles the shape of an ear, with the two lines in the middle representing the helix, earlobe, and internal structure. 

30. 衣 or 衤
Picture
yī 
clothing
袋、衫
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In its ancient forms, the character 衣 outlines a garment with a collar and sleeves in the upper part, and the hemline in the lower part. In Regular Script, 衣resembles a garment on a clothes hanger. There are two forms of the clothing radical, 衣 and 衤. 衣 is usually positioned at the bottom of a character as in 袋 (dài, bag; sack) and 表 (biǎo, surface; outside), while 衤 is on the left, as in 衬衫 (chènshān, shirt) and 裤 (kù​, pants).

31. 言 or 讠
Picture
yán
speech
誓、说
Picture
Associative Compound.
​
In the Oracle-Bone and Bronze Inscriptions, the character 言 looks like a tongue (the upper part) sticking out from a mouth (the bottom part), referring to the act of speaking with excitement and energy. In Regular Script, the mouth 口 comprises the lower part of 言, but the upper part resembles a sound wave more than a tongue.

32. 贝
Picture
bèi 
sea shell
贵、财
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In the Oracle-Bone and Bronze Inscriptions, the character 贝 resembles a cowry shell. Since cowry shells were used as a currency in ancient times, characters with 贝 as a component often relate to money, trade, or wealth, e.g., 买 (mǎi, buy), 卖 (mài, sell), 贵 (guì, expensive), and 财(cái, fortune). The simplified character 贝 derives from the cursive style of the traditional character 貝.

33. 走
Picture
zǒu
walk
趣、起
Picture
Associative Compound.
​In the Bronze Inscriptions, the upper part of 走 looks like a person walking rapidly with arms swinging, while the lower part depicts a human foot. In Regular Script, the lower part resembles a person striding forward with one arm swinging high, and the upper part becomes 土 (tǔ, earth), the surface upon which we walk.

34. 足
Picture
zú
foot
跳、跑
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In the Oracle-Bone Inscriptions, the upper part of 足 represents the calf of a leg, while the lower part presents an image of a foot, which is the same as the lower part of 走. In Regular Script, the calf part is replaced by 口。 Characters with the foot  radical⻊are often associated with acts that involves using one's feet, such as 跟 (gēn, follow), 踢 (tī, kick), and 跳 (tiào, jump). The extended meanings of 足 are "enough", "ample", etc. 

35. 金 or 钅
Picture
jīn
gold
鉴、钱
Picture
Pictograph and Associative Compound.
​
In the Bronze Inscriptions, the character 金 consists of three parts: 人 (rén, arrowhead), 王 (wáng, axe), and two dots (representing bronze ingots), suggesting that both arrowheads and axes are made of bronze. The primary meaning of 金 is "metal", with the extended meanings "gold" and "money".

36. 門/门
Picture
mén
door
间、闷
Picture
Pictograph.
​
The character 门 depicts a door with two panels. Characters with the 门 radical include 開/开(kāi), 關/关 (guān, close), 问 (wèn, ask)...etc. The simplified character 门 derives from the cursive style of 门.

37. 隹
Picture
zhuī 
short-tailed bird
难、集
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In the Oracle-Bone and Bronze Inscriptions, the character 隹 depicts a short-tailed bird. In Regular Script, the bird's head shrinks and the claws disappear, but its body and feathers are still apparent. 隹 is often used in characters pertaining to birds, or as a phonetic symbol, e.g., 雁(yàn, wild goose).

38. 雨
Picture
yǔ 
rain
零、雲
Picture
Pictograph.
​
The character 雨 could indicate heavy rain, as one can see four large rain drops. Characters with the rain radical often relate to natural phenomena or weather, e.g., 雪 (xuě, snow), 雷 (léi, thunder), 雾(wù, fog), and 云(yún, cloud).

39. 食 or 饣
Picture
shí 
eat 
餐、饭
Picture
Associative Compound.
In the Oracle-Bone Inscriptions, the lower part of 食 resembles a high-legged container full of food, while the upper part represents an open mouth referring to the act of eating. In Regular Script the lower part of 食 looks like legs in movement, which could suggest that one derives energy from eating. The food radical 食 always appears on the left side of a character, e.g.,饭 (fàn, food, cooked rice), 饿 (è, hungry), and 饼 (bǐng, pancake).

40. 馬/马
Picture
mǎ
horse
骑、骂
Picture
Pictograph.
​
In the Oracle-Bone Inscriptions, the character 马 delineates a horse. In its later forms, the character becomes more simple and abstract. Yet the shape of a horse, complete with body, mane, and legs, can still be seen in the Regular Script form. The simplified character 马 derives from the cursive style of the traditional character 馬.


Basic Radical Presentation in Video Format Practice

Picture

40 Basic Radicals Table

Radical

 1. 人 or 亻
 2. 刀 or刂
 3. 力
 4. 又
 5. 口
 6. 囗
 7. 土
 8. 夕
 9. 大
10. 女
11. 子
12. 寸
13. 小
14. 工
15. 幺
16. 弓
17. 心 
or 忄
18. 戈
19. 手 or 扌
20. 日
21. 月
22. 木
23. 水 
or 氵
24. 火 
or 灬
25. 田
26. 目
27. 示 
or 礻
28. 糸 
or 
29. 耳
30. 衣 or 衤
31. 言 or 讠
32. 贝

33. 走
34. 足
35. 金 
or 钅
36. 门
37. 隹
38. 雨
39. 食 
or 饣
40. 马

Pinyin

  1. rén 
  2. dāo 
  3. lì 
  4. yòu 
  5. kǒu    
6. wéi
  7. tǔ 
  8. xī 
  9. dà 
10. nǚ 
11. zǐ 
12. cùn 
13. xiǎo 
14. gōng 
15. yāo
16. gōng 
17. xīn 
18. gē 
19. shǒu 
20. rì 
21. yuè 
22. mù 
23. shuǐ 24. huǒ 
25. tián 
26. mù 
27. shì 
28. mì 
29. ěr 
30. yī 
31. yán 
32. bèi 
33. zǒu 
34. zú 
35. jīn 
36. mén 
37. zhuī 
38. yǔ 
39. shí 
40. mǎ

English

1. Person
2. knife
3. power
4. right hand; again
5. mouth
6. enclose
7. earth
8. sunset
9. big
10. woman
11. son
12. inch
13. small
14. labor; work
15. tiny; small
16. bow
17. heart
18. dagger-axe
19. hand
20. sun
21. moon
22. wood
23. water
24. fire
25. field
26. eye
27. show
28. fine silk
29. ear
30. clothing
31. speech
32. cowrie shell
33. walk
34. foot
35. gold
36. door
37. short-tailed bird
38. rain
39. eat
40. horse

Examples

 1. 今、他
 2. 分、到
 3. 加、助
 4. 友、取
 5. 叫、可
 6. 回、因
 7. 在、坐
 8. 外、多
 9. 天、太
10. 婆、好
11. 字、孩
12. 寺、封
13. 少、尖
14. 左、差
15. 幻、右
16. 引、弟
17. 想、忙
18. 我、或
19. 拿、打
20. 早、明
21. 期、朗
22. 李、杯
23. 汞、洗
24. 烧、热
25. 男、留
26. 看、睡
27. 票、社
28. 素、红
29. 聋、聊
30. 袋、衫
31. 誓、说
32. 贵、财
33. 趣、起
34. 跳、跑
35. 鉴、钱
36. 间、闷
37. 难、集
38. 零、雲
39. 餐、饭
40. 骑、骂

40 Basic Radicals Practice Sheet

introductory--40_basic_radicals.docx
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