chinese radicals with hints

一

yī; one; Originally a single horizontal stroke representing the number one. Its simplicity is its history; think of it as the primary, indivisible unit.

丨

gǔn; line; This vertical stroke is a foundational element. Historically, it could represent a staff, a spindle, or anything upright. Think of it as the vertical axis, a central support.

丶

zhǔ; dot; This simple dot can be traced back to ancient oracle bone script where it could represent a drop of water, a seed, or a punctuation mark. Associate it with a single, significant point or a drop of something essential.

丿

piě; slash; This leftward slash often represents movement or a person's limb in ancient scripts. Imagine it as a sweeping gesture or a leg in motion.

乙

"yǐ; second, fish; The origin of this character is debated, with theories suggesting it could be a pictograph of a fish, a bird's neck, or a winding stream. The ""winding"" or ""bending"" quality is a key takeaway, representing change or a secondary position."

亅

jué; hook; This stroke, ending in a hook, is a later development in script evolution, often used to form parts of more complex characters. Its visual form is its meaning: a hook, something that catches or holds.

二

"èr; two; Two horizontal strokes, a clear and ancient representation of the number two. It builds directly on the logic of ""一"" (one)."

亠

tóu; lid, top; This radical often depicts a cover or a lid. In early forms, it was a more explicit pictograph of a roof or a hat. Think of it as a protective covering over something else.

人 (亻)

rén; person; One of the most fundamental pictographs, this character clearly shows a person in profile, with a head, torso, and legs. The variant form 亻 is a compressed version, often appearing on the left side of characters related to people or their actions.

儿

ér; son, child; This character is a simplified drawing of a child, with some interpretations suggesting it emphasizes the open, soft fontanelle on a baby's skull. See it as a representation of the young and small.

入

rù; to enter; This character is a pictograph of a wedge or an arrowhead, something that penetrates or goes into another object. The shape itself suggests the action of entering.

八

"bā; eight; Originally, this character represented the concept of ""to divide,"" with the two strokes moving away from each other. It was later borrowed to represent the number eight. Think of it as something being split or separated."

冂

jiōng; down box; This open-bottomed box shape is often a simplified representation of a territory, a city wall, or an enclosure. Imagine looking down on a settlement from above.

冖

"mì; cover; Similar to ""亠"" (lid), this radical represents a cover, but it is often depicted as a piece of cloth or a veil. Think of it as something that conceals or covers an object."

冫

bīng; ice; These two dots are a simplified representation of cracks forming on ice. In ancient scripts, it was a more complex pictograph of ice crystals. Associate it with cold, freezing, and winter.

几

jī; table; This character was originally a pictograph of a small, low table or stool. Visualize a simple, elegant piece of ancient furniture.

凵

kǎn; open box, pit; This open-topped box is a pictograph of a pit in the ground or a container. Think of a hole or a receptacle waiting to be filled.

刀 (刂)

dāo; knife; A clear pictograph of a knife or a blade. The variant form 刂 is a compressed version used on the right side of characters, often indicating an action done with a knife, like cutting or slicing.

力

lì; strength, power; This character is thought to be a pictograph of a plow or a muscular arm, both symbols of physical strength and effort in an agricultural society.

勹

bāo; to wrap; A pictograph of a person bending over and wrapping their arms around something, as if to protect or contain it.

匕

bǐ; spoon, ladle; This character is a simple drawing of a spoon or a ladle, an ancient eating utensil. It can also represent a person in a kneeling or prostrate position.

匚

"fāng; box; A pictograph of a square or rectangular container, like a chest or a box. Unlike ""凵"" (pit), this radical is typically enclosed on three sides."

匸

"xì; to hide; This radical is very similar to ""匚"" (box) but specifically carries the meaning of concealing or hiding something within an enclosure."

十

shí; ten; The vertical and horizontal strokes represent the four cardinal directions and the center, encompassing all numbers. It's a symbol of completion, which is why it represents the number ten.

卜

bǔ; to divine; A pictograph of the cracks that would form on oracle bones (turtle shells or ox scapulae) when heated during divination ceremonies in ancient China. The shape represents the act of seeking knowledge from the supernatural.

卩

jié; seal, kneeling person; This character has two main historical origins. It can be a pictograph of a person kneeling, showing submission or respect. It can also represent a seal or a stamp of authority.

厂

chǎng; cliff; A pictograph of a cliff or a rock shelter. It often appears in characters related to mountains, stones, or dwellings carved into hillsides.

厶

"sī; private; This character is thought to be a pictograph of a silkworm cocoon, a private and enclosed space. This evolved to mean ""private"" or ""personal."""

又

"yòu; again, right hand; Originally a pictograph of a right hand, this character was often used to represent actions performed with the hand. Its meaning of ""again"" or ""also"" is a later phonetic loan."

口

kǒu; mouth; A clear pictograph of an open mouth. It is a fundamental component in characters related to speaking, eating, and anything that comes out of the mouth.

囗

"wéi; enclosure; A larger version of the ""mouth"" radical, this character represents an enclosure, like a city wall or a fence. It surrounds the other components of a character, indicating a contained space."

土

tǔ; earth, soil; A pictograph of a mound of earth, with the horizontal line representing the ground and the vertical stroke representing a plant sprouting from it. It is fundamentally linked to the land and agriculture.

士

shì; scholar, gentleman; Originally, this character may have been a pictograph of a phallic symbol representing masculinity and social standing, or an axe head symbolizing power. It evolved to mean a man of status and learning.

夂

zhǐ; to go; A pictograph of a foot pointing downwards, indicating the action of arriving or coming to a stop.

夊

"suī; to go slowly; Similar to ""夂"" (to go), this radical also depicts a foot, but with an extra stroke suggesting a slower, dragging, or hesitant movement."

夕

"xī; evening, sunset; A pictograph of the moon, often shown partially visible, as it appears in the evening sky. It is distinct from ""月"" (moon) which represents the full moon."

大

"dà; big, large; A pictograph of a person with arms outstretched, signifying ""big"" or ""great."" A simple and intuitive representation of size."

女

nǚ; woman; A pictograph of a kneeling or graceful woman, emphasizing her femininity and role in ancient society.

子

zǐ; child, son; A pictograph of a baby with a large head and outstretched arms, wrapped in swaddling clothes. It represents a child or offspring.

宀

mián; roof; A pictograph of a roof, specifically the roof of a house. Characters with this radical often relate to buildings, dwellings, or the concept of being under a roof.

寸

"cùn; inch; This character is an ideograph representing the point on the wrist where the pulse was taken in ancient Chinese medicine. It consists of ""又"" (hand) and a ""一"" (one) indicating the position. It later came to mean a small unit of length."

小

"xiǎo; small; A pictograph of three small dots or grains of sand, representing the concept of ""smallness."""

尢

wāng; lame, feeble; A pictograph of a person with a bent or crooked leg, indicating a physical disability or weakness.

尸

"shī; corpse, body; A pictograph of a seated or reclining person. While it can mean ""corpse,"" its original meaning was more neutral, simply representing the body."

屮

chè; sprout; A pictograph of a young plant or sprout pushing its way out of the ground. It is a symbol of new life and growth.

山

shān; mountain; A clear pictograph of a mountain with three peaks. It is a direct and recognizable representation of a mountain range.

川 (巛)

chuān; river; A pictograph of flowing water, with the central line representing the main current and the outer lines representing the banks or smaller streams.

工

gōng; work, laborer; This character is thought to be a pictograph of a carpenter's square or another tool, representing skilled labor and craftsmanship.

己

jǐ; oneself; The origin of this character is debated, with some scholars suggesting it's a pictograph of a knotted rope used for record-keeping, which could be a way of marking one's own things.

巾

jīn; turban, towel; A pictograph of a piece of cloth hanging from a belt or a turban worn on the head. It relates to textiles and fabrics.

干

"gān; dry, shield; This character has multiple early meanings. One is a forked stick used for hunting or defense, hence ""shield."" Another is a pestle, which by extension could relate to ""drying"" grains. Think of a wooden weapon or a tool left out to dry."

幺

yāo; tiny, small; A pictograph of a twisted silk thread on a spindle. It represents something very fine, small, or slender. Visualize the delicate thread being wound.

广

guǎng; vast, wide; A pictograph of a large house or shelter built against a cliff (厂). It signifies a spacious, open building, and by extension, anything vast or wide.

廴

"yǐn; to stretch, long stride; This radical depicts a long road or a path, combined with the motion of walking. Think of taking long strides along a road, hence ""stretching"" or ""movement over a distance."""

廾

gǒng; two hands, to join; A clear pictograph of two hands held up together, as if presenting a gift or offering something with respect. It signifies actions done with two hands, like joining, holding, or offering.

弋

yì; to shoot, arrow with a string; A pictograph of a dart or arrow attached to a string, which was used for hunting birds. The string allowed the arrow to be retrieved. Imagine shooting this ancient hunting tool.

弓

gōng; bow; A pictograph of a bow, the weapon used for shooting arrows. Its shape is a direct representation of the object.

彐 (彑)

jì; pig's head, snout; A pictograph representing the head or snout of a pig or a similar animal. The strokes suggest the shape of the snout and bristles.

彡

shān; bristles, hair, ornament; This radical represents fine lines, like hair, bristles, or decorative patterns. It can be seen as light rays or the texture of animal fur. Think of it as adding ornamentation or texture.

彳

chì; step, to walk; This radical is half of the character 行 (xíng, to walk), representing a single step or a person walking. It often appears in characters related to movement, paths, and journeys.

心 (忄)

"xīn; heart; Originally a pictograph of the human heart. It is used in characters related to feelings, emotions, and thought processes. The variant 忄, called ""shu xin pang"" (upright heart), appears on the left side of characters."

戈

gē; halberd, spear; A pictograph of an ancient Chinese dagger-axe or halberd, a common infantry weapon. It's a symbol of warfare, weapons, and fighting.

戶

hù; door; A pictograph of a single-panel door, as opposed to the two-paneled 門 (mén). Think of a humble, one-leaf door to a house.

手 (扌)

"shǒu; hand; A pictograph of a hand with fingers outstretched. The variant 扌, called ""ti shou pang"" (lifting hand), is a compressed form used on the left, appearing in countless characters related to actions performed with the hand."

支

zhī; branch; A pictograph of a hand (又) holding a branch (十). It represents a branch, support, or a limb.

攴 (攵)

pū; to tap, to rap; This radical shows a hand (又) holding a stick or a whip (卜), indicating an action of tapping, striking, or forcing. The variant form is 攵. Associate it with action, force, or instruction.

文

wén; literature, culture; A pictograph of a person with a tattoo or markings on their chest. These markings represented civilization and culture, evolving to mean writing, literature, and refinement.

斗

dǒu; dipper, peck (unit of measure); A pictograph of a long-handled ladle or dipper used for measuring grain or liquids. It's associated with measurement and tools.

斤

jīn; axe, catty (unit of weight); A pictograph of a long-handled axe or adze. It was a common tool for chopping wood, and later its name was used for a unit of weight.

方

fāng; square; Originally thought to be a pictograph of a plow with a square-shaped blade or two boats tied together, representing a square or a direction. Associate it with four-sided shapes and directions.

无

"wú; without, nothing; The oracle bone script for this character depicts a person dancing with sleeves, which was later borrowed to represent the abstract concept of ""not having"" or ""nothingness."" The original meaning is now written as 舞 (dance)."

日

rì; sun; A clear pictograph of the sun, originally a circle with a dot in the center. It relates to time, daylight, brightness, and celestial bodies.

曰

yuē; to say; A pictograph of a mouth (口) with a mark inside, indicating speech or sound coming out. It specifically relates to the act of speaking.

月

yuè; moon, month; A pictograph of a crescent moon. It is used for characters related to the moon, time, and months. Note: When used as a component on the left, it often is a compressed form of 肉 (ròu, meat).

木

mù; tree, wood; A pictograph of a tree, with a trunk, branches reaching up, and roots going down. It is the basis for characters related to trees, wood, and wooden objects.

欠

qiàn; to owe, to lack; A pictograph of a person with their mouth wide open, as if yawning. This act of exhaling led to the abstract meaning of something being empty or lacking.

止

"zhǐ; to stop; A clear pictograph of a foot, specifically the sole of a foot. The meaning ""to stop"" comes from the idea of planting your feet firmly on the ground."

歹

"dǎi; bad, evil; A pictograph of a human skeleton or bones, especially broken or decaying ones. This association with death and decay led to its meaning of ""bad,"" ""vicious,"" or ""evil."""

殳

shū; spear, weapon; A pictograph of a hand holding a long pole-arm or spear, often used in ancient warfare. It indicates action, striking, or a weapon.

毋

"wú; do not; This character is a pictograph of a woman (女) with a line across her chest, indicating a prohibition. It's a strong ""don't"" or ""must not."""

比

"bǐ; to compare; A pictograph of two people standing side-by-side, in the same direction. This visual representation of two things together directly leads to the meaning of ""to compare,"" ""to be next to,"" or ""ratio."""

毛

máo; fur, feather; A pictograph representing strands of animal fur or the feathers of a bird. It is used in characters related to hair, wool, and textured surfaces.

氏

shì; clan, family name; Believed to be a pictograph of a person kneeling with a prominent symbol of their clan or lineage above them. It represents ancestry and family identity.

气

qì; steam, air, vapor; A pictograph of vapor or steam rising. In its ancient form, it looked like three wavy lines, representing something ethereal and formless.

水 (氵)

"shuǐ; water; A pictograph of flowing water, with a central stream and droplets on either side. The variant 氵, called ""san dian shui"" (three drops of water), is always on the left side of characters related to water, liquids, or rivers."

火 (灬)

"huǒ; fire; A pictograph of a flickering flame. The variant 灬, called ""si dian huo"" (four dots of fire), is used at the bottom of characters and often relates to cooking, heating, or burning."

爪 (爫)

zhuǎ; claw; A pictograph of an animal's paw or a bird's talon, pointing downwards. It's associated with animals, grabbing, or scratching.

父

fù; father; A pictograph of a hand holding a stone axe or a stick, symbolizing authority, discipline, and the paternal role in the family.

爻

yáo; lines of a trigram; A representation of the broken and unbroken lines used in the I Ching (Book of Changes) for divination. It symbolizes interaction, change, and the fundamental principles of yin and yang.

爿

qiáng; split wood, bed; This radical is a pictograph of a piece of wood split in half, on the left side. It's often used as a component in characters related to beds or furniture made from wood planks. The right-side version is 爿 (pán).

片

piàn; slice, piece; A mirror image of 爿, this radical is a pictograph representing a thin slice or splinter of wood.

牙

yá; tooth, tusk; A pictograph of an animal's molar or tusk, showing the interlocking nature of teeth.

牛 (牜)

niú; ox, cow; A pictograph of an ox's head, showing the horns. The ox was a vital animal in ancient agriculture, symbolizing strength and diligence. The variant 牜 is used on the left.

犬 (犭)

"quǎn; dog; A pictograph of a dog standing on its hind legs. The variant 犭, called ""fan quan pang"" (reversed dog), appears on the left side of characters related to dogs, canines, or animalistic behaviors."

玄

xuán; profound, mysterious, black; This character symbolizes something deep and hard to see. It's thought to be a pictograph of a dark, twisted silk thread, representing mystery and subtlety.

玉 (王)

"yù; jade; A pictograph of three pieces of jade strung together. The dot was added later to distinguish it from the character for ""king"" (王, wáng). When used as a radical, it often omits the dot and looks identical to 王. Associate it with gems, precious stones, and value."

瓜

guā; melon, gourd; A pictograph of a melon or gourd hanging from a vine, showing the tendrils and the fruit itself.

瓦

wǎ; tile; A pictograph of interlocking roof tiles, showing how they fit together to protect a building from rain. It relates to pottery, ceramics, and fired clay objects.

甘

gān; sweet; A pictograph of a mouth (口) with something held inside (一), representing a sweet taste or something pleasant being savored.

生

shēng; to be born, life; A pictograph of a plant sprouting from the earth (土). It symbolizes life, birth, growth, and newness.