Chinese Radicals (部首): Meanings & Examples

The 144 radicals used by the 359 characters in our library — sorted by stroke count. Every example character links to its animated stroke-order page.

Radicals are the indexing system of Chinese: every character is filed under exactly one of them, and in most characters the radical carries the broad meaning. Learn to recognize the frequent ones and unfamiliar characters stop being random pictures — 洋 is "water 氵+ sound 羊 yáng", 想 is "sound 相 xiāng + heart 心". Roughly 80% of characters work this way; our character etymology guide explains the full system, and each character page shows its radical, formation type and decomposition.

Radical index

丨

vertical line

1 stroke · 3 characters in our library

个书中

亅

hook

1 stroke · 2 characters in our library

了事

丿

slash

1 stroke · 3 characters in our library

乐么之

一

one

1 stroke · 9 characters in our library

不东两三上世下一与

乚

hidden / hook

1 stroke · 1 character in our library

也

丶

dot

1 stroke · 2 characters in our library

为主

丷

divide

2 strokes · 1 character in our library

关

八

eight / divide

2 strokes · 2 characters in our library

公其

勹

wrap

2 strokes · 1 character in our library

包

匕

spoon

2 strokes · 1 character in our library

化

冫

ice

2 strokes · 1 character in our library

冰

卜

divination

2 strokes · 1 character in our library

卡

刀

knife

2 strokes · 2 characters in our library

刀分

刂

knife (side form)

2 strokes · 3 characters in our library

别到前

儿

legs

2 strokes · 4 characters in our library

儿光克先

二

two

2 strokes · 5 characters in our library

二五些于云

阝

mound / city (side form)

2 strokes · 6 characters in our library

阿部都那邮院

几

table

2 strokes · 1 character in our library

几

冂

borders

2 strokes · 1 character in our library

再

力

strength

2 strokes · 1 character in our library

动

冖

cover

2 strokes · 1 character in our library

写

凵

open box / pit

2 strokes · 1 character in our library

出

人

person

2 strokes · 5 characters in our library

从会今人以

亻

person (side form)

2 strokes · 11 characters in our library

便但候价们你他位像信作

入

enter

2 strokes · 2 characters in our library

内全

十

ten

2 strokes · 3 characters in our library

华卖十

厶

private

2 strokes · 1 character in our library

去

亠

lid

2 strokes · 1 character in our library

亮

匸

hiding box

2 strokes · 1 character in our library

医

讠

speech (side form)

2 strokes · 8 characters in our library

读该话论认说语证

又

right hand / again

2 strokes · 5 characters in our library

变发叔友又

艹

grass (top form)

3 strokes · 7 characters in our library

菜草茶花蓝药英

彳

step

3 strokes · 2 characters in our library

得很

辶

walk / movement

3 strokes · 6 characters in our library

道过还进通这

寸

inch

3 strokes · 1 character in our library

对

大

big

3 strokes · 5 characters in our library

大夫买天头

飞

fly

3 strokes · 1 character in our library

飞

干

shield / dry

3 strokes · 2 characters in our library

并年

弓

bow

3 strokes · 2 characters in our library

弟张

廾

two hands

3 strokes · 1 character in our library

开

广

shelter

3 strokes · 4 characters in our library

店度平应

己

self

3 strokes · 2 characters in our library

己已

巾

cloth

3 strokes · 4 characters in our library

币帽师市

口

mouth

3 strokes · 18 characters in our library

吃哥各号喝和后可口哭名命台听同向员只

马

horse

3 strokes · 1 character in our library

马

门

gate

3 strokes · 2 characters in our library

门问

宀

roof

3 strokes · 6 characters in our library

安宝宠定家实

女

woman

3 strokes · 10 characters in our library

好姐妈妹奶女妻如她姨

丬

split wood

3 strokes · 1 character in our library

将

犭

beast / dog

3 strokes · 2 characters in our library

狗猫

山

mountain

3 strokes · 1 character in our library

山

彡

bristles / pattern

3 strokes · 1 character in our library

影

尸

corpse / body

3 strokes · 1 character in our library

层

饣

food (side form)

3 strokes · 1 character in our library

饭

扌

hand (side form)

3 strokes · 3 characters in our library

把报接

氵

water (side form)

3 strokes · 9 characters in our library

法海汉河湖江满没洋

纟

silk (side form)

3 strokes · 4 characters in our library

红经绿纸

土

earth

3 strokes · 7 characters in our library

场城地坏在址坐

尢

lame

3 strokes · 1 character in our library

就

囗

enclosure

3 strokes · 5 characters in our library

国回四因园

夕

evening

3 strokes · 2 characters in our library

多外

小

small

3 strokes · 2 characters in our library

少小

忄

heart (side form)

3 strokes · 3 characters in our library

快慢情

幺

tiny

3 strokes · 1 character in our library

乡

夂

3 strokes · 1 character in our library

务

子

child

3 strokes · 4 characters in our library

孙学子字

⺌

small (variant)

3 strokes · 1 character in our library

当

灬

fire (bottom form)

4 strokes · 3 characters in our library

点然照

车

cart

4 strokes · 1 character in our library

车

斗

dipper

4 strokes · 1 character in our library

料

方

square / direction

4 strokes · 1 character in our library

方

风

wind

4 strokes · 1 character in our library

风

父

father

4 strokes · 2 characters in our library

爸爷

戈

dagger-axe

4 strokes · 3 characters in our library

成我戏

户

door / household

4 strokes · 2 characters in our library

房所

火

fire

4 strokes · 2 characters in our library

灯火

见

see

4 strokes · 2 characters in our library

见视

斤

axe

4 strokes · 1 character in our library

新

耂

old (top form)

4 strokes · 1 character in our library

者

木

wood / tree

4 strokes · 15 characters in our library

本村果机来林楼木术树条校样椅桌

牛

cow

4 strokes · 1 character in our library

物

片

slice

4 strokes · 1 character in our library

片

攵

tap / strike

4 strokes · 3 characters in our library

放收数

气

air / vapor

4 strokes · 1 character in our library

气

欠

yawn / lack

4 strokes · 1 character in our library

歌

日

sun / day

4 strokes · 6 characters in our library

旧明日时是星

手

hand

4 strokes · 1 character in our library

手

水

water

4 strokes · 2 characters in our library

水永

王

jade / king

4 strokes · 3 characters in our library

理王现

文

writing

4 strokes · 1 character in our library

文

无

not

4 strokes · 1 character in our library

无

心

heart

4 strokes · 7 characters in our library

感思想心意怎总

牙

tooth

4 strokes · 1 character in our library

牙

曰

say

4 strokes · 2 characters in our library

电最

月

moon / flesh

4 strokes · 3 characters in our library

朋有月

长

long

4 strokes · 1 character in our library

长

爫

claw (top form)

4 strokes · 1 character in our library

爱

止

stop

4 strokes · 2 characters in our library

此正

⺼

flesh (variant)

4 strokes · 7 characters in our library

背脚脑能腿胸育

白

white

5 strokes · 2 characters in our library

白的

钅

metal (side form)

5 strokes · 1 character in our library

钱

立

stand

5 strokes · 2 characters in our library

亲站

民

people

5 strokes · 1 character in our library

民

目

eye

5 strokes · 5 characters in our library

看目睡眼着

疒

sickness

5 strokes · 1 character in our library

病

鸟

bird

5 strokes · 1 character in our library

鸟

生

life / birth

5 strokes · 1 character in our library

生

矢

arrow

5 strokes · 1 character in our library

知

示

altar / spirit

5 strokes · 1 character in our library

票

田

field

5 strokes · 3 characters in our library

画男田

穴

cave

5 strokes · 1 character in our library

窗

衤

clothing (side form)

5 strokes · 2 characters in our library

被袜

用

use

5 strokes · 1 character in our library

用

虫

insect

6 strokes · 1 character in our library

虫

舛

contrary

6 strokes · 1 character in our library

舞

而

and / beard

6 strokes · 1 character in our library

而

耳

ear

6 strokes · 1 character in our library

耳

老

old

6 strokes · 1 character in our library

老

米

rice

6 strokes · 1 character in our library

米

肉

meat / flesh

6 strokes · 1 character in our library

肉

色

color

6 strokes · 1 character in our library

色

网

net

6 strokes · 1 character in our library

网

西

west

6 strokes · 1 character in our library

西

覀

cover / west (variant)

6 strokes · 1 character in our library

要

行

go / walk

6 strokes · 2 characters in our library

街行

衣

clothing

6 strokes · 2 characters in our library

表衣

舟

boat

6 strokes · 1 character in our library

船

自

self / nose

6 strokes · 1 character in our library

自

⺮

bamboo (top form)

6 strokes · 3 characters in our library

笔第笑

里

village / mile

7 strokes · 3 characters in our library

里量重

身

body

7 strokes · 1 character in our library

身

走

walk / run

7 strokes · 2 characters in our library

起走

足

foot

7 strokes · 4 characters in our library

蹈路跑跳

金

metal / gold

8 strokes · 1 character in our library

金

鱼

fish

8 strokes · 1 character in our library

鱼

雨

rain

8 strokes · 3 characters in our library

雷雪雨

隹

short-tailed bird

8 strokes · 1 character in our library

集

革

leather

9 strokes · 1 character in our library

鞋

面

face

9 strokes · 1 character in our library

面

音

sound

9 strokes · 1 character in our library

音

高

tall

10 strokes · 1 character in our library

高

黄

yellow

11 strokes · 1 character in our library

黄

黑

black

12 strokes · 1 character in our library

黑

鼻

nose

14 strokes · 1 character in our library

鼻

Frequently asked questions

What is a radical in Chinese?

A radical (部首 bùshǒu) is the component under which a character is filed in dictionaries. Every character has exactly one radical, and the radical usually hints at the meaning area — characters with 氵(water) like 河, 海 and 洗 all relate to water or liquid.

How many Chinese radicals are there?

The traditional Kangxi system has 214 radicals. In practice, about 40 of them cover the vast majority of common characters — which is why learning the frequent ones first pays off immediately.

Is the radical the same as the phonetic component?

No. In a phono-semantic character (about 80% of all characters), the radical is the meaning part; the other part usually gives the sound. In 妈 (mā, mother), 女 is the radical (meaning: woman) and 马 is the phonetic (sound: mǎ).

How do I look up a character by radical?

Identify the radical, count its strokes, find it in the radical table, then count the remaining strokes of the character. Paper dictionaries and most dictionary apps are organized exactly this way — it is also a great way to learn components.