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Basic Common Chinese
Radicals
Radicals (bù shǒu) are common "components"
used in Chinese characters. Rather than
remembering all the strokes of a Chinese
character, it's sometimes easier to remember
the radicals, which are frequently used as
components in Chinese characters. As you study
Chinese, you will notice a repeating pattern of
radicals being used.

The following table lists some commonly used

basic radicals (parantheses denotes traditional
character used in Hong Kong and Taiwan):

Radical Meaning Pīnyīn Example

1 亻 person rén 你 you (nǐ)

road, 街 street (jiē), 往

2 ⼻ walking
chì
toward (wǎng)

河 river (hé), 洗
3 氵 water shuǐ
wash (xǐ)

冰 ice (bīng), 冻
4 冫 ice bīng
freeze (dòng)

fire / 灯 lamp (dēng),

5 ⽕ burning
huǒ
烧 burn (shāo)
fire / fire 蒸 steam (zhēng),
6 灬 from huǒ
热 hot (rè)
below

day, sun, 时 time (shí), 晴

7 ⽇ time
rì
sunny (qíng)

明 tomorrow
moon,
8 ⽉ month
yuè (míng), 服 clothes
(fú)

⻔ 间 room (jiān), 闭
9 door mén
(⾨) shut (bì)

female, 好 good (hǎo), 妈

10 ⼥ woman
nǚ
mother (mā)

孩 child (hái), 孙
11 ⼦ child zǐ
grandchild (sūn)

推 push (tuī), 拉
12 扌 hand shǒu
pull (lā)

讠 word,
说 say (shuō), 语
13 language, yán
(訁) speech language (yǔ)

花 flower (huā),
14 ⺾ grass cǎo
菜 vegetable (cài)
earth, 地 ground (dì), 場
15 ⼟ soil
tǔ
field (chǎng)

钅 银 silver (yín), 铁
16 metal jīn
(釒) iron (tiě)

饣 饭 rice/meal (fàn),
17 food, eat shí
(⻟) 饮 drink (yǐn)

tree, 林 forest (lín), 树

18 ⽊ wood
mù
tree (shù)

笔 pen (bǐ), 简
19 ⺮ bamboo zhú
simple (jiǎn)

踢 kick (tī), 跑 run

20 ⻊ foot zú
(pǎo)
walk,
chuò
action, 進 enter (jìn), 远
21 ⻌ period of
/
far (yuǎn)
zouzhi
time

纟 silk, 线 thread (xiàn),

22 thread, mì
(⺯) string 丝 silk (sī)

家 home/family
23 宀 roof mián (jiā), 室 room
(shì)

mouth, 唱 sing (chàng),

24 ⼝ opening
kǒu
和 and (hé)

boundary, 国 country (guó),

25 ⼞ enclosure
wéi
园 garden (yuán)
裙 skirt (qún), 衫
26 衤 clothes yī
shirt (shān)

病 disease (bìng),
27 ⽧ sickness nè
痛 pain (tòng)
部
terrain,
department/section
28 ⻖ hill, city, yì
(bù), 都 both
town
(bōu)

factory, 厅 hall (tīng), ⼚

29 ⼚ yard
hàn
factory (chǎng)

wide, 店 shop (diàn), 府

30 ⼴ shelter
yǎn
mansion (fǔ)

想 want (xiǎng),
31 ⼼ heart xīn
忘 forget (wàng)
feeling, 情 emotion (qíng),
32 忄 mental xīn
忙 busy (máng)
activities
strength,
助 help (zhù), 加
33 ⼒ power, lì
add (jiā)
force

⻋ car,
⻋ car (chē), 軌
34 vehicle, chē
(⾞) cart rail/track (guǐ)

⻥ 鲜 fresh (xiān), 鮑
35 fish yú
(⿂) abalone (bào)

If you have mastered these basic radicals,

please try the more advanced radical list here

Back to Resources page

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