100 commonly used Chinese Radicals
1
Chinese characters can be decomposed into components called radicals or bushou. There are 214
radicals in the original Kangxi radical list, but a few of them are no longer used in the simplified
Chinese. Being able to recognize the common radicals helps in the learning and recognition of new
characters. Some but not all radical are complete characters in their own right. (Some radicals may
be not characters so we don’t put pinyin for them here. )
No.
Radical (variants)
Stroke count
Meaning
Pinyin
1
1
one
2
1
line
3
1
dot
4
丿
1
slash
5
1
second
6
1
hook
7
2
two
èr
8
2
lid
9
2
man
rén
10
2
son, legs
ér
11
2
enter
12
2
eight
13
2
(down box)
14
2
cover
15
2
ice
16
2
table
17
2
(open box)
18
2
knife
dāo
19
2
power
20
2
wrap
21
2
spoon
22
2
(right open box)
23
2
hiding enclosure
24
2
ten
shí
25
2
divination
26
2
seal (device)
27
2
cliff
chǎng
28
2
private
29
2
again
yòu
30
3
mouth
kǒu
31
3
enclosure
32
3
earth
33
3
scholar
shì
34
3
go
100 commonly used Chinese Radicals
2
35
3
go slowly
36
3
evening
37
3
big
38
3
woman
39
3
child
40
3
roof
41
3
inch
cùn
42
3
small
xiǎo
43
3
lame
44
3
corpse
shī
45
3
sprout
46
3
mountain
shān
47
3
river
48
3
work
gōng
49
3
oneself
50
3
turban
jīn
51
3
dry
gān
52
3
short thread
yāo
53
广
3
(dotted cliff)
guǎng
54
3
long stride
55
3
(two hands)
56
3
shoot
57
3
bow
gōng
58
3
snout
59
3
bristle
60
3
step
61
4
heart
xīn
62
4
halberd
63
4
door
64
4
hand
shǒu
65
4
branch
zhī
66
4
rap, tap
67
4
script
wén
68
4
dipper
dòu
69
4
axe
jīn
70
4
square
fāng
71
4
not
72
4
sun
73
4
say
yuē
74
4
moon
yuè
75
4
tree
76
4
lack
qiàn
77
4
stop
zhǐ
100 commonly used Chinese Radicals
3
78
4
death
dǎi
79
4
weapon
shū
80
4
do not
81
4
compare
82
4
fur
máo
83
4
clan
shì
84
4
steam
85
4
water
shuǐ
86
4
fire
huǒ
87
4
claw
zhǎo
88
4
father
89
4
slice
piàn
90
4
fang
91
4
cow
niú
92
4
dog
quǎn
93
5
jade
94
5
melon
guā
95
5
life
shēng
96
5
field
tián
97
5
sickness
98
5
white
bái
99
5
eye
100
5
grain

Preview text:

100 commonly used Chinese Radicals
Chinese characters can be decomposed into components called radicals or bushou. There are 214
radicals in the original Kangxi radical list, but a few of them are no longer used in the simplified
Chinese. Being able to recognize the common radicals helps in the learning and recognition of new
characters. Some but not all radical are complete characters in their own right. (Some radicals may
be not characters so we don’t put pinyin for them here. ) No. Radical (variants) Stroke count Meaning Pinyin 1 一 1 one yī 2 丨 1 line 3 丶 1 dot 4 丿 1 slash 5 乙 1 second yǐ 6 亅 1 hook 7 二 2 two èr 8 亠 2 lid 9 人 2 man rén 10 儿 2 son, legs ér 11 入 2 enter rù 12 八 2 eight bā 13 冂 2 (down box) 14 冖 2 cover 15 冫 2 ice 16 几 2 table jǐ 17 凵 2 (open box) 18 刀 2 knife dāo 19 力 2 power lì 20 勹 2 wrap 21 匕 2 spoon bǐ 22 匚 2 (right open box) 23 匸 2 hiding enclosure 24 十 2 ten shí 25 卜 2 divination bǔ 26 卩 2 seal (device) 27 厂 2 cliff chǎng 28 厶 2 private 29 又 2 again yòu 30 口 3 mouth kǒu 31 囗 3 enclosure 32 土 3 earth tǔ 33 士 3 scholar shì 34 夂 3 go 1
100 commonly used Chinese Radicals 35 夊 3 go slowly 36 夕 3 evening xī 37 大 3 big dà 38 女 3 woman nǚ 39 子 3 child zǐ 40 宀 3 roof 41 寸 3 inch cùn 42 小 3 small xiǎo 43 尢 3 lame 44 尸 3 corpse shī 45 屮 3 sprout 46 山 3 mountain shān 47 巛 3 river 48 工 3 work gōng 49 己 3 oneself jǐ 50 巾 3 turban jīn 51 干 3 dry gān 52 幺 3 short thread yāo 53 广 3 (dotted cliff) guǎng 54 廴 3 long stride 55 廾 3 (two hands) 56 弋 3 shoot yì 57 弓 3 bow gōng 58 彐 3 snout 59 彡 3 bristle 60 彳 3 step 61 心 4 heart xīn 62 戈 4 halberd gē 63 户 4 door hù 64 手 4 hand shǒu 65 支 4 branch zhī 66 攴 4 rap, tap pū 67 文 4 script wén 68 斗 4 dipper dòu 69 斤 4 axe jīn 70 方 4 square fāng 71 无 4 not wú 72 日 4 sun rì 73 曰 4 say yuē 74 月 4 moon yuè 75 木 4 tree mù 76 欠 4 lack qiàn 77 止 4 stop zhǐ 2
100 commonly used Chinese Radicals 78 歹 4 death dǎi 79 殳 4 weapon shū 80 毋 4 do not wú 81 比 4 compare bǐ 82 毛 4 fur máo 83 氏 4 clan shì 84 气 4 steam qì 85 水 4 water shuǐ 86 火 4 fire huǒ 87 爪 4 claw zhǎo 88 父 4 father fù 89 片 4 slice piàn 90 牙 4 fang yá 91 牛 4 cow niú 92 犬 4 dog quǎn 93 玉 5 jade yù 94 瓜 5 melon guā 95 生 5 life shēng 96 田 5 field tián 97 疒 5 sickness nè 98 白 5 white bái 99 目 5 eye mù 100 禾 5 grain hé 3