Chinese Radicals 1

Question 1

What is the meaning of this radical?

What is a radical?

Answer 1

Radicals are components of Chinese characters. Different combinations of radicals are put together to build Chinese characters. Sometimes radicals provide information about the meaning of the character, other times, they contribute information about how to pronounce the character.

Question 2

What is the meaning of this radical?

What are the Kangxi radicals?

Answer 2

The Kangxi radicals are 214 radicals first used in the late Ming Dynasty to organize Chinese characters in the Zihui dictionary. The Kangxi radicals are still used today as the basis for organizing Chinese characters. Because the system is several hundred years old, some radical definitions are archaic and reflect the culture of the time period.

Question 3

What is the meaning of this radical?

一

Answer 3

one

Example:

三
sān
three

Question 4

What is the meaning of this radical?

丨

Answer 4

line

Example:

中
zhōng
center

Question 5

What is the meaning of this radical?

丶

Answer 5

dot

Example:

丸
wán
pill

Question 6

What is the meaning of this radical?

丿

Answer 6

slash

Example:

久
jiǔ
long time

Question 7

What is the meaning of this radical?

乙 (variants: 乚，⺄)

Answer 7

second

Example:

九
jiǔ
nine

Question 8

What is the meaning of this radical?

亅

Answer 8

hook

Example:

小
xiǎo
small

Question 9

What is the meaning of this radical?

二

Answer 9

two

Example:

雲 (simplified: 云)
yún
cloud

Question 10

What is the meaning of this radical?

亠

Answer 10

lid

Example:

高
gāo
tall

Question 11

What is the meaning of this radical?

人 (variant: 亻)

Answer 11

human

Example:

你
nǐ
you

Question 12

What is the meaning of this radical?

儿

Answer 12

legs

Example:

兄
xiōng
brother

Question 13

What is the meaning of this radical?

入

Answer 13

enter

Example:

兩 (simplified: 两)
liǎng
both

Question 14

What is the meaning of this radical?

八

Answer 14

eight, divide

Example:

公
gōng
public

Question 15

What is the meaning of this radical?

冂

Answer 15

open space

Example:

内
nèi
inside

Question 16

What is the meaning of this radical?

冖

Answer 16

cover

Example:

冠
guān
crown

Question 17

What is the meaning of this radical?

冫

Answer 17

ice

Example:

冷
lěng
cold

Question 18

What is the meaning of this radical?

几

Answer 18

table

Example:

阬 (simplified: 坑)
kēng
hole

Question 19

What is the meaning of this radical?

凵

Answer 19

container

Example:

凹
āo
concave

Question 20

What is the meaning of this radical?

刀 (variant:刂)

Answer 20

knife

Example:

切
qiē
to cut

Question 21

What is the meaning of this radical?

力

Answer 21

power

Example:

動 (simplified: 动)
dòng
to move

Question 22

What is the meaning of this radical?

勹

Answer 22

wrap

Example:

包
bāo
package

Question 23

What is the meaning of this radical?

匕

Answer 23

spoon

Example:

北
běi
north

Question 24

What is the meaning of this radical?

匚

Answer 24

box

Example:

匣
xiá
box

Question 25

# What is the meaning of this radical? 匸

Answer 25

hiding enclosure Example: 區 (simplified: 区) qū *area, district*

Question 26

# What is the meaning of this radical? 十

Answer 26

ten Example: 半 bàn *half*

Question 27

# What is the meaning of this radical? 卜

Answer 27

mysticism Example: 卡 kǎ *card*

Question 28

# What is the meaning of this radical? 卩

Answer 28

kneel Example: 危 wēi *danger*

Question 29

# What is the meaning of this radical? 厂

Answer 29

cliff Example: 原 yuán *original*

Question 30

# What is the meaning of this radical? 厶

Answer 30

private Example: 私 sī *private, personal*

Question 31

# What is the meaning of this radical? 又

Answer 31

right hand Example: 友 yǒu *friend*

Question 32

# What is the meaning of this radical? 口

Answer 32

mouth, opening Example: 名 míng *name*

Question 33

# What is the meaning of this radical? 囗

Answer 33

enclosure Example: 國 (simplified: 国) guó *country*

Question 34

# What is the meaning of this radical? 土

Answer 34

earth Example: 地 dì *ground*

Question 35

# What is the meaning of this radical? 士

Answer 35

scholar Example: 壯 (simplified: 壮) zhuàng *strong, grand*

Question 36

# What is the meaning of this radical? 夂

Answer 36

go Example: 處 (simplified: 处) chù *place, department*

Question 37

# What is the meaning of this radical? 夊

Answer 37

go slowly Example: 夏 xià *summer*

Question 38

# What is the meaning of this radical? 夕

Answer 38

evening Example: 外 wài *outside, foreign*

Question 39

# What is the meaning of this radical? 大

Answer 39

big Example: 天 tiān *sky*

Question 40

# What is the meaning of this radical? 女

Answer 40

woman Example: 好 hǎo *good*

Question 41

# What is the meaning of this radical? 子

Answer 41

child, seed Example: 學 (simplified: 学) xué *study, learn*

Question 42

# What is the meaning of this radical? 宀

Answer 42

roof Example: 傢 (simplified: 家) jiā *home*

Question 43

# What is the meaning of this radical? 寸

Answer 43

thumb, inch Example: 寿 shòu *longevity*

Question 44

# What is the meaning of this radical? 小 (variants: ⺌，⺍)

Answer 44

small Example: 少 shǎo *less, few*

Question 45

# What is the meaning of this radical? 尢 (variant: 尣)

Answer 45

lame Example: 尷尬 (simplified: 尴尬) gān gà *awkward*

Question 46

# What is the meaning of this radical? 尸

Answer 46

corpse Example: 尾 wěi *tail*

Question 47

# What is the meaning of this radical? 屮

Answer 47

sprout Example: 出 chū *to go out*

Question 48

# What is the meaning of this radical? 山

Answer 48

mountain Example: 島 (simplified: 岛) dǎo *island*

Question 49

# What is the meaning of this radical? 巛 (variants: 川，巜)

Answer 49

river Example: 州 zhōu *state*

Question 50

# What is the meaning of this radical? 工

Answer 50

work Example: 巧 qiǎo *skillful*

Question 51

# What is the meaning of this radical? 己 (variants: 巳，已)

Answer 51

self Example: 巷 xiàng *lane*

Question 52

# What is the meaning of this radical? 巾

Answer 52

scarf Example: 布 bù *cloth*

Question 53

# What is the meaning of this radical? 干

Answer 53

weapon Example: 平 píng *level*

Question 54

# What is the meaning of this radical? 幺

Answer 54

short Example: 幼 yòu *young, child*

Question 55

# What is the meaning of this radical? 广

Answer 55

house on cliff Example: 店 diàn *shop*

Question 56

# What is the meaning of this radical? 廴

Answer 56

long stride Example: 庭 tíng *courtyard*

Question 57

# What is the meaning of this radical? 廾

Answer 57

two hands Example: 开 kāi *to open*

Question 58

# What is the meaning of this radical? 弋

Answer 58

arrow Example: 武 wǔ *military*

Question 59

# What is the meaning of this radical? 弓

Answer 59

bow Example: 強 (simplified: 强) qiáng *strong*

Question 60

# What is the meaning of this radical? 彐

Answer 60

pig snout Example: 事 shì *situation*

Question 61

# What is the meaning of this radical? 彡

Answer 61

bristle Example: 髮 (simplified: 发) fà *hair*

Question 62

# What is the meaning of this radical? 彳

Answer 62

step Example: 後 (simplified: 后) hòu *after, behind*