Chinese: Common Radicals

What is the meaning of the radical 人 or its side form 亻?

Person (rén). It is one of the most common radicals, appearing in characters like 他 (he) and 你 (you).

What does the radical 氵 (three drops) represent in Chinese characters?

Water (shuǐ). It is found in words related to liquids, such as 海 (sea) and 河 (river).

What is the meaning of the radical 木?

Wood or Tree (mù). It appears in characters related to plants or wooden objects like 树 (tree) and 桌 (table).

What does the square-shaped radical 口 represent?

Mouth (kǒu). It is used in characters involving eating, speaking, or openings, such as 吃 (eat) and 叫 (call).

What is the meaning of the radical 女?

Woman or Female (nǚ). It is found in characters like 妈 (mother), 姐 (older sister), and 好 (good).

What does the radical 日 represent?

Sun or Day (rì). It is used in time-related characters like 明 (tomorrow/bright) and 时 (time).

What is the meaning of the radical 土?

Earth, Soil, or Ground (tǔ). It appears in characters like 地 (ground) and 城 (city/wall).

In characters like 煮 (zhǔ - boil) or 热 (rè - hot), what do the four dots at the bottom (灬) represent?

Fire (huǒ). This is the bottom-positioned variant of the fire radical.

Characters containing the radical 忄 (standing heart) usually relate to what?

Emotions, feelings, or mental states (xīn). Examples include 忙 (busy) and 快 (happy/fast).

The radical 扌 (shǒu) is typically associated with what kind of words?

Actions performed with the hands. Examples include 打 (hit), 推 (push), and 拉 (pull).