List of Chinese Radicals

Chinese characters can be decomposed into components called radicals or bushou. The most
commonly accepted table of radicals for traditional Chinese characters consists of 214 entries.
These 214 radicals were popularized back in the reign of Qing emperor Kangxi, who
commissioned what is now known as the Kangxi Zidian, a character dictionary listing over
47,000 entries. Tables with fewer or greater number of radicals have been devised for
simplified characters. 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 have more than one form. Finally, simplified characters have resulted in
additional variants.
In the following table, the English names were taken from the Unihan database, a database of
international characters. The stroke count refer to the main form of the radical only.
no.

radical

2
3
4
5

6
7
8
9
10
11

12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

variant

pron.

exemplar use

exemplar words

zh

meaning
1 stroke
dot

y
gn
pi
y

one
line
slash
second

shhu zhy
socialism
wn ten thousand
Zhnggu China
shnme what
mimi business

tu
bng
m
yn
r
sh

lid
ice
cover
word
two
ten

hn
fng
b
do
jing
b
rn
rn
bo
rn
j
s
yu
yn
ji
f
y
g
do

cliff
right open box
fissure
knife
down box
eight
man
man
wrap
legs
table
private
right hand
walk
seal
hill (left)
capital (right)
open box
knife

2 strokes

Bijng PRCs capital

bnglng ice-cold
gunjn champion
shuhu to talk
yxi some, several

huqio oversea
Chinese
csu toilet
yyun hospital
wigurn foreigner
ly profit
tngxu schoolmate
ddi younger brother
gmng revolution
xixi rest
jzi sentence
Jik Czech
fnghung phoenix
syu private
pngyou friend
jinzh build/building
dyn print
wixin danger
yuj post office
hur picture
jindo scissors

31

power

32
33
34
35
36
37

shu
xn
min

38
39

nnpngyou

boyfriend

yn
mn

water
heart
roof
bed
shelter
gate

chu
gng

to walk
work

40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
65
66

t
sh
co
d
gng
wng
cn
y
shu
xio
ku
wi
jn
shn
ch
shn
x
su
gu
sh
j
sh
j
gng
n
yo

earth
knight
grass
big
two hands
lame
inch
to shoot
hand
small
mouth
enclosure
turban
mountain
step
decoration
evening
go
dog
food
hooter
corpse
self
bow
woman
young

67
68
69
70

z
s
m
gu

child
silk
horse
river

Hungh Yellow river

aqng love
ji home, family
huzhung make-up
shngdin shop
qngwn excuse me
(may I ask?)
qngjn pleas enter
gngfu skill, effort,
kung-fu
dhzh address
shngyn voice
huch jasmine tea
kujing overpraise
fngq to give up
gng embarassed
smio Buddhist temple
zhngsh Chinese-style
bw grasp, certainty
doshao how much
hch to drink tea
gngyun park
chngchang often
sush age
ynhng bank
dinyng film, movie
mngxing dream
fw serve
hli fox
chofn fried rice
xnlng soul
pgu backside
zj self
qingli strong, violent
gniang girl
yur yun nursery
school
hizi child
schu silk (stuff)
lutu camel
niocho birds nest

71
72
73
74
75
76
77

hu
du
wn
fng
hu
xn
h

4 strokes
fire
dipper
tattoo
square
fire
heart
door-frame

rqng warm-hearted
cilio material
bnm zebra
mnz nation
huchn dust
lini love
dinshn ventilator

3 strokes

78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89

sh
wng
wi
m
qun
di
ch
g
b
w
zh
p

ritual
king
opposition
tree
dog
evil
vehicle
pole axe
compare
roof tile
stop
hit

90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
109

r
yu
bi
jin
f
ni
shu
mo
q
fn
pin
jn
zho
ru
qin
fng
sh
y
shu

sun
to say
shell
see
father
cow
hand
hair
air
beat
tablets
axe
claw
meat
yawn
wind
pike
brush
water

110

xu

cave

111

stand

112
113
114
115

chung
y
sh
sh

illness
garment
ritual
stone

116
117

lng
y

dragon
craft

118
119
120
121
122
123
124

m
tin
wng
mn
jn
sh
h

eye
field
net
bowl
metal
arrow
spike

lw gift
wnqun complete
Hngu South Korea
lish willow
k cry
swang death
chln steering wheel
zhnzhng war
by to graduate
toc pottery
kndng certainly
qiomn to knock the
door
wnshang evening
gnmo (to catch) cold
fci to get rich
cngun sightseeing
di daddy
tbi especially
tijqun tai-chi
dtn carpet
tinqi weather
gig reform
kpin kard
dunli break
irn husband (wife)
xnzng heart
hunyng welcome
piodng to float
Ozhu Europe
yns earnest, sincere
yngyun forever

5 strokes

tikng universe,
space
chzhn station, bus
stop
izhng cancer
qnzi skirt
jnzh forbide
kungqun shu
mineral water
kn shrine
shy undertaking,
project
pnwng to hope
shji world
fkun to get a fine
gungpn CD
qin money
zhdo to know
gzhng any, every

125
126
127
128

bi
gu
nio
yng

white
pumpkin
bird
use

129
130
131
131

mo
p
m
p

spear
roll
mother
skin

132
133

y
yng

cloth
sheep

134
135
136
137
138
139
140

m
li
lo
r
chn
x
y

rice
statue
old
ear
vassal
west
head

141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152

h
chng
fu
sh
zh
ji
z
xu
zhu
y
gn
m

153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169

xn
yn
mi
zu
ch
du
yu
chn
sh
l
l
z
zh
g
bin
shn
jio

tiger
insect
jar
tongue
bamboo
scuttle
nose
blood
boat
feathers
firm
silk
7 strokes
needle
word
corn
run
crimson
bean
pot
chisel
swine
salt
village
foot
reptile
valley
differentiate
body
horn
8 strokes

biog form
Migu America,
USA
zhu gruel
gngd to plough
kosh exam
d big (hanging) ears
wpu berth
jpio airticket
wnt question,
problem
qinx modest
zhnglng cocroach
qudin defficiency
shfu comfortable
kuizi chopsticks
jujiu uncle
xioxi news, message
tioxn provoke
lnchun steamship
chbng wing
jink hard
jnzhng nervous

ljio chilli
rngy fame
dmi wheat
chosh supermarket
chlu naked, nude
g drum
ji alcohol, liquor
zuchn lip
ji family, home
cu salty
lm milimeter
t to kick
wimao appearance
ywng yearn(ing)
shx familiar
shnt body, health
jifng liberation

mngbai to understand
xgu watermelon
koy roasted duch
bng not to have to,
neednt
rurun soft
qngch clear
dpn poison, drug
zhuwn wrinkle

6 strokes

170
171
172
173
174
175
176

177
178
179
180
181

182
183

184
185

m
l

186

hi

blue

sieve

rain

tooth

metal

little bird

fish

frog

9 strokes
tone

leather

bone

food

devil

10 strokes
struggle

hair

11 strokes
hemp

deer

12 strokes and more

black

187
188

sh
b

rat
nose

qng
q
y
ch
jn
zhu
y
mn
yn
g
g
sh
gu

du
bio

njng tranquil
xngq week
xu snow
ych tooth
hungjn gold
kngqe peacock
ly carp

fyn pronunciation
xizi shoe
hig sceleton
kuicn fast food
mgu devil
rno lively, noisy
bn temple (part of head)
mfng mill
qln mythical animal
shumhu inkpainting
xsh mouse
nng snuffle