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)
2	彳	road, walking	chì	街 street (jiē), 往 toward (wǎng)
3	氵	water	shuǐ	河 river (hé), 洗 wash (xǐ)
4	冫	ice	bīng	冰 ice (bīng), 冻 freeze (dòng)
5	火	fire / burning	huǒ	灯 lamp (dēng), 烧 burn (shāo)
6	灬	fire / fire from below	huǒ	蒸 steam (zhēng), 热 hot (rè)
7	日	day, sun, time	rì	时 time (shí), 晴 sunny (qíng)
8	月	moon, month	yuè	明 tomorrow (míng), 服 clothes (fú)
9	门 (門)	door	mén	间 room (jiān), 闭 shut (bì)
10	女	female, woman	nǚ	好 good (hǎo), 妈 mother (mā)
11	子	child	zǐ	孩 child (hái), 孙 grandchild (sūn)
12	扌	hand	shǒu	推 push (tuī), 拉 pull (lā)
13	讠(訁)	word, language, speech	yán	说 say (shuō), 语 language (yǔ)
14	艹	grass	cǎo	花 flower (huā), 菜 vegetable (cài)
15	土	earth, soil	tǔ	地 ground (dì), 場 field (chǎng)
16	钅(釒)	metal	jīn	银 silver (yín), 铁 iron (tiě)
17	饣(飠)	food, eat	shí	饭 rice/meal (fàn), 饮 drink (yǐn)
18	木	tree, wood	mù	林 forest (lín), 树 tree (shù)
19	⺮	bamboo	zhú	笔 pen (bǐ), 简 simple (jiǎn)
20	⻊	foot	zú	踢 kick (tī), 跑 run (pǎo)
21	⻌	walk, action, period of time	chuò / zouzhi	進 enter (jìn), 远 far (yuǎn)
22	纟(糹)	silk, thread, string	mì	线 thread (xiàn), 丝 silk (sī)
23	宀	roof	mián	家 home/family (jiā), 室 room (shì)
24	口	mouth, opening	kǒu	唱 sing (chàng), 和 and (hé)
25	囗	boundary, enclosure	wéi	国 country (guó), 园 garden (yuán)
26	衤	clothes	yī	裙 skirt (qún), 衫 shirt (shān)
27	疒	sickness	nè	病 disease (bìng), 痛 pain (tòng)
28	阝	terrain, hill, city, town	yì	部 department/section (bù), 都 both (bōu)
29	厂	factory, yard	hàn	厅 hall (tīng), 厂 factory (chǎng)
30	广	wide, shelter	yǎn	店 shop (diàn), 府 mansion (fǔ)
31	心	heart	xīn	想 want (xiǎng), 忘 forget (wàng)
32	忄	feeling, mental activities	xīn	情 emotion (qíng), 忙 busy (máng)
33	力	strength, power, force	lì	助 help (zhù), 加 add (jiā)
34	车 (車)	car, vehicle, cart	chē	车 car (chē), 軌 rail/track (guǐ)
35	鱼 (魚)	fish	yú	鲜 fresh (xiān), 鮑 abalone (bào)

If you have mastered these basic radicals, please try the more advanced radical list here

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