Most Chinese characters are built from familiar components. A radical (部首) is the meaning-bearing part that hints at what the character is about. The other part may provide the sound (phonetic) or complete the picture. This page lists the radicals and components used in the course's Character Breakdowns.
Find a component by its appearance or English name. Each card shows the component, what it means, example characters, and its type. Tap the component in any lesson's breakdown to see it here.
Radical form of 人 (person). Left side of characters about people.
e.g. 你, 他, 们, 什, 住
Commonly called 单人旁 (dānrénpáng) — single person side.
Three-dot water radical. Left side in characters about liquids.
e.g. 法, 流, 澳, 海, 洗
Called 三点水 (sāndiǎnshuǐ) — three drops of water.
Hand radical (提手旁). Left side in action/hand characters.
e.g. 打, 找, 把, 护, 拐
Variant of 手 (hand). 提手旁 (tíshǒupáng).
Square radical. Characters about mouth, speech, eating.
e.g. 吃, 喝, 叫, 吗, 问
One of the most common radicals. Can appear anywhere.
Speech radical (言字旁). Left side in words about speaking.
e.g. 说, 话, 请, 认, 识
Simplified from 言 (yán, speech). 言字旁.
Heart radical. Characters about emotions, thoughts, feelings.
e.g. 想, 怎, 爱, 心, 情
Bottom form ⺗ shows as 心, sometimes as 忄 (竖心旁) on the left.
Vertical heart radical (竖心旁). Left side for emotional states.
e.g. 情, 快, 怪, 忙, 慢
Same meaning as 心, simplified on left side of character.
Fire radical. Characters about fire, heat, cooking.
e.g. 点, 灯, 炒, 烧, 烦
Bottom variant: 灬 (四点底, four-dot fire) as in 热, 照, 然.
Wood radical. Characters about trees, wood, materials.
e.g. 机, 杯, 样, 桌, 椅
Appears on left (木字旁), bottom (木字底), or as base.
Earth radical. Characters about ground, earth, places.
e.g. 在, 去, 地, 块, 城
提土旁 (títǔpáng) — earth radical on left. Also appears at bottom.
Sun radical. Characters about sun, time, brightness.
e.g. 时, 明, 早, 星, 是
Also used in characters about time (日 = day).
Moon/flesh radical. Characters about body parts (flesh) or moon.
e.g. 有, 明, 朋, 期, 脸
Two origins: 月 (moon) for lunar/period words, ⺼ (flesh) for body parts.
Woman radical. Characters about women, femininity, family.
e.g. 她, 好, 妈, 妹, 姐
女字旁 (nǚzìpáng).
Gold/metal radical. Characters about metals, wealth.
e.g. 钱, 错, 金, 针, 钟
Simplified left form: 钅 (金字旁).
Metal radical (simplified). Left side form.
e.g. 钱, 错, 针, 钟, 铁
Simplified from 金. 金字旁 (jīnzìpáng).
Stone radical. Characters about rock, mineral, hardness.
e.g. 码, 石, 碗, 确, 硬
石字旁 (shízìpáng).
Grain radical. Characters about crops, grain, harvest.
e.g. 利, 和, 科, 秋, 租
禾木旁 (hémùpáng).
Eye radical. Characters about seeing, eyes.
e.g. 看, 目, 相, 睡, 着
目字旁 (mùzìpáng). The character 看 uses hand + eye.
Grass radical (草字头). Top of plant-related characters.
e.g. 花, 茶, 菜, 英, 苦
草字头 (cǎozìtóu) — grass on top.
Insect/bug radical. Characters about insects, animals.
e.g. 虽, 蛋, 虫, 蛇, 蛙
虫字旁 (chóngzìpáng).
Shell radical. Characters about money, trade, value.
e.g. 资, 费, 贵, 败, 账
Ancient shell currency symbol. 贝字旁 (bèizìpáng).
Foot radical. Characters about walking, feet, movement.
e.g. 跑, 路, 跳, 跟, 足
Bottom form 龰. 𧾷 is the left side variant.
Walk radical. Characters about movement, walking.
e.g. 走, 起, 超, 越, 趣
走字底 (zǒuzìdǐ).
Walking radical (走之底). Characters about motion, roads.
e.g. 这, 过, 还, 进, 送
走之底 (zǒuzhīdǐ) — one of the hardest radicals to write.
Walking radical (走之底). Characters about motion, roads.
e.g. 这, 过, 还, 进, 送
走之底 (zǒuzhīdǐ).
City/hill radical (双耳旁). Characters about places.
e.g. 那, 都, 队, 阳, 阴
Two origins: left side = hill (阜), right side = city (邑).
Double-person radical (双人旁). Characters about motion, streets.
e.g. 很, 行, 往, 待, 得
Originally a crossroads. 双人旁 (shuāngrénpáng).
Vehicle/car radical. Characters about transportation.
e.g. 车, 转, 较, 辆, 输
车字旁 (chēzìpáng).
Roof radical (宝盖头). Top of house/shelter characters.
e.g. 字, 家, 安, 完, 定
宝盖头 (bǎogàitóu) — treasure cover. Symbolic 'roof'.
Cover radical (秃宝盖). Top covering characters.
e.g. 写, 冠, 冤, 幂
秃宝盖 (tūbǎogài) — bare cover (no dot).
Door radical. Characters about doors, openings, entry.
e.g. 问, 间, 门, 闹, 闻
门字框 (ménzìkuàng) — door enclosure.
Enclosure radical (国字框). Characters about boundaries.
e.g. 国, 回, 因, 园, 图
国字框 (guózìkuàng) — country enclosure. NOT 口 (mouth).
Shelter radical (广字头). Top of building/space characters.
e.g. 店, 度, 庆, 床, 序
广字头 (guǎngzìtóu). Originally a cliff-side shelter.
Cliff radical (厂字头). Characters about cliffs, factories.
e.g. 原, 厨, 厅, 历, 厉
厂字头 (chǎngzìtóu).
Cave radical (穴宝盖). Characters about holes, caves.
e.g. 空, 穿, 突, 窗, 窍
穴宝盖 (xuébǎogài).
Corpse radical. Characters about body, house, tail.
e.g. 局, 居, 展, 层, 尾
尸字头 (shīzìtóu).
Door/house radical. Characters about doors, households.
e.g. 房, 户, 所, 护, 扇
户字头 (hùzìtóu).
Mountain radical. Characters about mountains, peaks.
e.g. 出, 岁, 山, 岗, 峰
山字旁/底 (shānzìpáng/dǐ).
Full form of 人. Characters with person on top or inside.
e.g. 人, 从, 今, 会, 合
As a base rather than the left-side 亻 form.
Arms-outstretched person. Characters about size, bigness.
e.g. 大, 天, 太, 头, 因
Arms stretched wide = 'big'.
Small radical. Small size, young age.
e.g. 小, 少, 尖, 省, 尘
Three-dot form ⺌ appears in 'learn' 学 and 'shine' 兴.
Strength/power radical. Characters about effort, strength.
e.g. 为, 办, 加, 助, 努
力字旁 (lìzìpáng).
Knife radical. Characters about cutting, sharpness.
e.g. 分, 切, 划, 刻, 别
Right-side variant: 刂 (立刀旁).
Inch/measure radical. Characters about measurement, time.
e.g. 对, 时, 谢, 讨, 导
Originally the length from wrist to pulse point.
Carpenter's square. Often phonetic in 江, 红, 功.
e.g. 工, 功, 红, 江, 左
Sound gōng. Also gives meaning in 'left' 左 and 'difference' 差.
Horse radical. Often phonetic.
e.g. 吗, 妈, 码, 马, 骑
Sound mǎ. Also semantic for horse-related characters.
Green/blue radical. Phonetic in many characters.
e.g. 请, 情, 晴, 青, 清
Sound qīng. Tone varies. Also has meaning 'green/young'.
Wrap radical. Phonetic in womb, cannon, full.
e.g. 包, 抱, 跑, 炮, 饱
Sound bāo. Creates characters about bubbling/confinement.
Square/side. Often phonetic.
e.g. 房, 放, 访, 方, 旁
Sound fāng. Also 'square' in meaning.
Roof radical (宝盖头). Top of house/shelter characters.
e.g. 字, 家, 安, 完, 定
宝盖头 (bǎogàitóu) — treasure cover. Symbolic 'roof'.
Cover radical (秃宝盖). Top covering characters.
e.g. 写, 冠, 冤, 幂
秃宝盖 (tūbǎogài) — bare cover (no dot).
Door radical. Characters about doors, openings, entry.
e.g. 问, 间, 门, 闹, 闻
门字框 (ménzìkuàng) — door enclosure.
Enclosure radical (国字框). Characters about boundaries.
e.g. 国, 回, 因, 园, 图
国字框 (guózìkuàng) — country enclosure. NOT 口 (mouth).
Shelter radical (广字头). Top of building/space characters.
e.g. 店, 度, 庆, 床, 序
广字头 (guǎngzìtóu). Originally a cliff-side shelter.
Cliff radical (厂字头). Characters about cliffs, factories.
e.g. 原, 厨, 厅, 历, 厉
厂字头 (chǎngzìtóu).
Cave radical (穴宝盖). Characters about holes, caves.
e.g. 空, 穿, 突, 窗, 窍
穴宝盖 (xuébǎogài).
Corpse radical. Characters about body, house, tail.
e.g. 局, 居, 展, 层, 尾
尸字头 (shīzìtóu).
Door/house radical. Characters about doors, households.
e.g. 房, 户, 所, 护, 扇
户字头 (hùzìtóu).
Mountain radical. Characters about mountains, peaks.
e.g. 出, 岁, 山, 岗, 峰
山字旁/底 (shānzìpáng/dǐ).
Carpenter's square. Often phonetic in 江, 红, 功.
e.g. 工, 功, 红, 江, 左
Sound gōng. Also gives meaning in 'left' 左 and 'difference' 差.
Horse radical. Often phonetic.
e.g. 吗, 妈, 码, 马, 骑
Sound mǎ. Also semantic for horse-related characters.
Green/blue radical. Phonetic in many characters.
e.g. 请, 情, 晴, 青, 清
Sound qīng. Tone varies. Also has meaning 'green/young'.
Wrap radical. Phonetic in womb, cannon, full.
e.g. 包, 抱, 跑, 炮, 饱
Sound bāo. Creates characters about bubbling/confinement.
Square/side. Often phonetic.
e.g. 房, 放, 访, 方, 旁
Sound fāng. Also 'square' in meaning.
Full form of 人. Characters with person on top or inside.
e.g. 人, 从, 今, 会, 合
As a base rather than the left-side 亻 form.
Arms-outstretched person. Characters about size, bigness.
e.g. 大, 天, 太, 头, 因
Arms stretched wide = 'big'.
Small radical. Small size, young age.
e.g. 小, 少, 尖, 省, 尘
Three-dot form ⺌ appears in 'learn' 学 and 'shine' 兴.
Strength/power radical. Characters about effort, strength.
e.g. 为, 办, 加, 助, 努
力字旁 (lìzìpáng).
Knife radical. Characters about cutting, sharpness.
e.g. 分, 切, 划, 刻, 别
Right-side variant: 刂 (立刀旁).
Inch/measure radical. Characters about measurement, time.
e.g. 对, 时, 谢, 讨, 导
Originally the length from wrist to pulse point.
The number one. Also a horizontal stroke in many characters.
e.g. 一, 二, 三, 不, 正
Vertical stroke. Basic stroke in many characters.
e.g. 中, 旧, 个, 上, 下
Left-falling stroke. Appears as a component in many characters.
e.g. 么, 千, 九, 八, 生
Dot stroke. Often the simplest mark in a character.
e.g. 为, 主, 之, 义, 书
Bent hook stroke. Appears in characters like 电.
e.g. 电, 九, 七, 己, 已
• Left-side radicals (亻, 氵, 扌, 口, 讠, 忄, 木, 钅) usually indicate the character's meaning category.
• Top components (宀, 艹, 穴, ⺮, 广) describe what kind of thing it is.
• The right or bottom part often gives the sound (e.g. 青 in 请, 情, 晴, 清 all sound qīng/qíng/qǐng).
• Many components are simplified versions of full characters (e.g. 讠←言, 饣←食, 纟←糸).
• The same component can look different depending on position (心→忄, 手→扌, 火→灬, 水→氵).