List of 214 Basic Chinese Radicals and Meanings [Free PDF]

It‘s seems that Chinese Learning is very difficult for oversea Beginners, with the character, the pronounciation, and various dialects, and Chinese cluture background, so thar many people get the urge to simply give up.

But according to many years of teaching experience, WuKong Chinese think that learning Chinese radicals (汉字偏旁部首) is always one of the best ways to learn Chinese characters. Do you want to know what are Chinese radicals list? And why should chinese learning beginners learn them? How many basic Chinese radicals should you master? Here we’ll answer those questions for you, and list top 214 most common Chinese radicals with detailed introducation about their meaning, pinyin, varints, examples. Let’s dive into this article!

Wukong Chinese Learning Resources provides Chinese beginners with a free copybook of Chinese radicals, which allows you to practice Chinese character radicals online, improving your ability to write characters correctly and deepen their understanding of Chinese characters.

Part1. What are Chinese Radicals?

Chinese radicals are the basic building blocks of Chinese characters. They are the smallest semantic units that make up Chinese characters.

Each Chinese character is composed of one or more radicals. Radicals can be thought of as the “root” or “key” parts of a character that provide clues about the character’s meaning or pronunciation.

There are around 214 commonly used radicals in the Chinese writing system. These include:

• Radical components like 木 (wood), 水 (water), 人 (person), etc. that convey semantic information.
• Phonetic components that provide hints about the pronunciation of the character.
• Structural components that indicate the overall shape or configuration of the character.

Knowing the meanings and compositions of these basic radicals is very important for learning to read and write Chinese characters effectively. Radicals allow you to break down and analyze the structure of unfamiliar characters, which aids in character recognition and memorization.

What are Chinese radicals? Below is a video introducing Chinese radicals. The humble “radical” is the building block of many Chinese characters. The video breaks down the five main positional categories of radicals and their impact on words to help deepen your understanding of Chinese radicals.

Part2. How Many Radicals Are in Chinese?

There are around 214 commonly recognized Chinese radicals.

The exact number can vary a bit depending on how radicals are defined and categorized, but 214 is the standard number cited by most authoritative sources on the Chinese writing system.

This set of 214 radicals forms the base components that make up the tens of thousands of Chinese characters. Every Chinese character can be broken down into one or more of these fundamental radical building blocks.

Some key facts about the 214 Chinese radicals:

• They were standardized and codified over centuries of Chinese language development.
• The number 214 comes from the Kangxi dictionary, a seminal Chinese dictionary published in 1716.
• The radicals cover a wide range of semantic categories like people, animals, objects, natural phenomena, etc.
• A handful of the 214 are less common or obsolete nowadays, but are still important historically.
• Learning to recognize and understand these 214 core radicals is essential for mastering the Chinese writing system.

In summary, while the exact count may vary slightly, the 214 Chinese radicals recognized in the Kangxi system remain the fundamental building blocks that all Chinese characters are composed of. Mastering them is a crucial step in becoming proficient in reading and writing Chinese.

Wukong Chinese provides you with Basic Chinese Radicals pdf for parents to download or print for their children for free. If you want to get a detailed explanation of these radicals, you can make an appointment for a free trial class at Wukong Chinese and let a professional Wukong Chinese teacher explain it to you.

Part3. Top 214 Most Basic Chinese Radicals List for Beginners

Chinese characters are complex visual symbols that combine multiple components to convey meaning and pronunciation. At the foundation of this writing system are the Chinese radicals – the essential building blocks from which all characters are constructed.

Understanding the role and composition of these core radical elements is vital for students seeking to develop proficiency in reading, writing, and comprehending the Chinese language. Here we will provide an overview of the 214 commonly used radicals, including meaning, pronuncation, variants, examples and strokes.

By mastering the meanings, pronunciations, and structural forms of these fundamental radical components, learners can unlock the ability to analyze, remember, and correctly write Chinese characters. This knowledge lays a crucial groundwork for navigating the depth and nuance of the written Chinese language.

Let’s take a closer look at the key radicals that form the basis of the Chinese writing system.

RADICAL NUMBER	Chinese Radicals	Meaning	Pinyin	Variants	Examples	Comments	STROKES
1	一	one	yī	一、丿、乀	一、丁、日、月、目	Basic horizontal stroke	1
2	丨	line	gǔn	丨、㇏、㇐	丨、丶、丸、讠、几	Basic vertical stroke	1
3	丶	dot	diǎn	丶、乀	丶、丹、乃、乡、乾	Basic dot stroke	1
4	丿	slash	piě	丿、乀、⺄	丿、乍、乏、乓、乜	Basic slanted stroke	1
5	乙	second	yǐ	乙、乚、乛	乙、了、事、云、亡	Curving stroke, often used for “second”	2
6	乚	hidden	yǎn	乚	乚、兆、亥、亨、享	Enclosed stroke, represents something hidden or obscured	2
7	乛	slash	shù	乛	乛、亠、京、亭、亮	Slanted slash stroke, similar to radical 4	2
8	亅	hook	jué	亅	亅、了、事、云、亡	Hooked stroke, often used for “right” or “to grasp”	2
9	二	two	èr	二、亅	二、于、亏、亓、亖	Basic stroke for the number “two”	2
10	亠	lid	tóu	冖、冖、亠	亠、京、亭、亮、人	Covers or caps something, like a “lid”	2
11	人	person	rén	人、亻、仁	人、什、仁、今、介	Represents a person or human figure	2
12	儿	child	ér	儿、几	儿、兀、允、元、充	Stylized representation of a child or baby	2
13	入	enter	rù	入、儿	入、內、全、冬、兮	Stroke that represents entering or joining	2
14	八	eight	bā	八、丷	八、公、六、共、兴	Basic stroke for the number “eight”	2
15	冂	cover	gōng	冂、冃	冂、兴、兼、冒、冕	Encompassing or covering stroke	2
16	冖	cover	mì	冖、亠	冖、冢、冥、冬、况	Stroke representing a cover or roof over something	3
17	冫	ice	bīng	冫、亏	冫、况、冰、冷、冲	Stroke representing ice or cold	3
18	几	table	jī	几、刂	几、凡、凶、凸、凹	Stroke representing a small table or stool	3
19	凵	open mouth	kǒu	凵、几	凵、刚、创、则、剎	Stroke representing an open mouth or container	3
20	刀	knife	dāo	刀、刂	刀、分、切、刈、列	Stroke representing a knife or sharp blade	3
21	力	strength	lì	力、勹	力、助、办、动、劳	Stroke representing physical strength or effort	2
22	勹	wrap	bāo	勹、勹	勹、勺、勾、勿、匀	Stroke representing something wrapped or enclosed	2
23	匕	spoon	bǐ	匕、卜	匕、化、北、匚、匕	Stroke resembling a spoon or ladle	2
24	匚	box	fāng	匚、匚	匚、匣、匦、匪、匹	Stroke representing a box or container	2
25	匸	hiding	xǐ	匚、匸	匸、匹、区、医、匮	Stroke suggesting something is hidden or obscured	2
26	十	ten	shí	十、丨	十、千、卉、半、卓	Basic stroke for the number “ten”	2
27	卜	divination	bǔ	卜、匚	卜、占、卦、卯、卢	Stroke used in ancient divination practices	2
28	卩	seal	jié	卩、匕	卩、卷、卿、厂、厄	Stroke representing a seal or stamp	2
29	厂	cliff	hàn	厂、亠	厂、厅、历、厕、厘	Stroke representing a cliff or steep embankment	2
30	厶	private	sī	厶、小	厶、又、叉、及、友	Stroke representing something private or secret	2
31	又	again	yòu	又、乂	又、双、反、发、叔	Stroke representing repetition or “again”	2
32	杰	hero	jié	木	杰、松、枚、杠、杜	Stroke representing a heroic or outstanding person	4
33	木	tree	mù	木	木、本、札、李、朱	Stroke representing a tree or wooden object	4
34	未	not yet	wèi	未、末	未、术、末、朴、杰	Stroke representing something that has not yet occurred	4
35	术	method	shù	木	术、本、末、朴、杰	Stroke representing a specialized technique or method	4
36	本	root	běn	本	本、札、未、末、朱	Stroke representing the root or origin of something	4
37	未	not yet	wèi	未、末	未、术、末、朴、杰	Stroke representing something that has not yet occurred	4
38	札	tag	zhá	木	札、本、未、术、朱	Stroke representing a written tag or label	4
39	末	end	mò	未、末	未、术、本、朴、杰	Stroke representing the end or tip of something	4
40	朩	incomplete	pǐn	木	朩、木、本、未、朱	Stroke representing something incomplete or unfinished	4
41	李	plum	lǐ	木	李、松、杰、朱、来	Stroke representing a plum tree	5
42	林	forest	lín	木	林、杰、朱、果、柏	Stroke representing a forest or grove of trees	6
43	果	fruit	guǒ	木	果、木、李、枚、柑	Stroke representing a fruit-bearing tree	7
44	欠	lack	qiàn	欠、氵	欠、次、武、歹、歼	Stroke representing something lacking or missing	3
45	止	stop	zhǐ	止、缶	止、步、武、歹、歼	Stroke representing the act of stopping or ceasing	3
46	歹	bad	dǎi	歹、歪	歹、止、歪、歧、殊	Stroke representing something wicked or evil	2
47	母	mother	mǔ	母、毋	母、毋、每、每、民	Stroke representing a mother or female figure	4
48	比	compare	bǐ	比、皮	比、皮、系、君、布	Stroke representing the act of comparing	4
49	毋	do not	wú	母、毋	毋、母、每、毕、毙	Roots that indicate negation or prohibition	3
50	氏	clan	shì	氏、气	氏、民、气、汽、沚	Stroke representing a clan or family name	4
51	气	air	qì	气、氵	气、汽、泣、氅、氅	Stroke representing air, breath, or vapor	4
52	汁	juice	zhī	氵、汁	汁、水、沁、沂、沟	Stroke representing liquid or juice	4
53	水	water	shuǐ	水、氵	水、泉、污、汁、沟	Stroke representing water or a liquid	4
54	火	fire	huǒ	火、灬	火、炎、焚、炒、点	Stroke representing fire or flame	4
55	爪	claw	zhǎo	爪、灬	爪、爬、爱、爵、版	Stroke representing an animal’s claw	3
56	父	father	fù	父、爻	父、爸、爷、爹、爻	Stroke representing a father or male figure	3
57	爻	change	yáo	父、爻	爻、父、叙、爰、孖	Stroke representing change or transformation	3
58	片	slice	piàn	片、刀	片、版、牙、牡、牢	Stroke representing a slice or flat piece	3
59	牙	tooth	yá	牙、齒	牙、牖、牛、牟、牢	Stroke representing a tooth or tusk	3
60	牛	ox	niú	牛、牜	牛、牝、牧、牟、牡	Stroke representing an ox, cow, or bovine	4
61	犬	dog	quǎn	犬、犭	犬、犭、犯、状、狃	Stroke representing a dog or canine	4
62	犭	dog	quǎn	犬、犭	犭、犬、狂、狗、狡	Abbreviated form of the 犬 radical	3
63	玄	mysterious	xuán	玄、玉	玄、玉、王、玟、玥	Stroke representing something mysterious or profound	5
64	王	king	wáng	王	王、玉、玟、玥、珍	Stroke representing a king or ruler	3
65	玉	jade	yù	玉、王	玉、王、珍、珠、瑀	Stroke representing jade or a precious stone	4
66	瓜	melon	guā	瓜、缶	瓜、甜、甜、生、田	Stroke representing a melon or gourd	7
67	瓦	tile	wǎ	瓦、石	瓦、石、砖、碑、砥	Stroke representing a roof tile or ceramic material	5
68	甘	sweet	gān	甘、田	甘、甜、甜、生、田	Stroke representing something sweet or pleasant	4
69	生	life	shēng	生、丹	生、甜、用、田、申	Stroke representing life, growth, or birth	4
70	用	use	yòng	用、甲	用、甲、申、电、男	Stroke representing the act of using or employing	4
71	田	field	tián	田	田、由、申、电、男	Stroke representing an agricultural field	5
72	疋	foot	pǐ	疋、少	疋、疗、疾、疫、痒	Stroke representing a foot or a piece of cloth	3
73	疒	sickness	nè	疒、疋	疒、疐、疠、痛、瘟	Stroke representing illness or disease	3
74	疔	sore	dīng	疒、疔	疔、疒、疠、痛、瘟	Stroke representing a sore or inflamed area	4
75	癶	foot	bō	癶、癿	癶、癿、登、皮、白	Stroke representing a foot or leg	3
76	癿	heart	jiā	癶、癿	癶、癿、登、皮、白	Stroke representing the heart or emotions	5
77	白	white	bái	白、日	白、百、皂、皆、皮	Stroke representing the color white	4
78	皮	skin	pí	皮、比	皮、肉、皂、皆、膚	Stroke representing skin or hide	5
79	目	eye	mù	目、白	目、看、睛、睢、矮	Stroke representing an eye or the sense of sight	5
80	矛	spear	máo	矛、殳	矛、矢、矢、希、尖	Stroke representing a spear or pike	6
81	矢	arrow	shǐ	矢、殳	矢、矛、朝、希、尖	Stroke representing an arrow or projectile	4
82	石	stone	shí	石、厂	石、砖、碍、砚、磨	Stroke representing a stone or rock	4
83	禸	track	lóu	禸、禾	禸、禾、移、稀、竟	Stroke representing an animal’s footprint or track	3
84	禾	grain	hé	禾、木	禾、和、稀、稔、稻	Stroke representing a sheaf of grain or cereal plant	4
85	禹	name	yǔ	禾、禹	禹、禾、祝、祥、禽	Stroke representing a specific proper name	5
86	穴	cave	xué	穴、穴	穴、窟、空、穷、突	Stroke representing a cave or hollow space	4
87	立	stand	lì	立、立	立、站、竖、端、竟	Stroke representing the act of standing or erecting	4
88	舌	tongue	shé	舌、舌	舌、舐、舒、舛、舜	Stroke representing the human tongue	4
89	自	self	zì	自、目	自、臣、至、致、臼	Stroke representing the self or one’s own	7
90	至	arrive	zhì	至、至	至、至、致、臣、臼	Stroke representing the act of arriving or reaching	6
91	臼	mortar	jiù	臼、目	臼、自、至、臣、臾	Stroke representing a mortar for grinding grain	6
92	舟	boat	zhōu	舟、舟	舟、艇、航、艘、艇	Stroke representing a boat or ship	4
93	艮	stopping	gèn	艮、止	艮、良、艾、英、苛	Stroke representing a barrier or something stopping	4
94	色	color	sè	色、赤	色、芳、茶、芝、苏	Stroke representing color or appearance	7
95	艸	grass	cǎo	艸、艹	艸、苏、茶、芳、茂	Stroke representing grass or vegetation	3
96	艹	grass	cǎo	艸、艹	艹、花、茶、草、荣	Abbreviated form of the 艸 radical	2
97	虍	tiger	hū	虍、虎	虍、虎、虑、虚、虞	Stroke representing a tiger or ferocious animal	5
98	虎	tiger	hǔ	虍、虎	虎、号、虑、虚、虞	Stroke representing a tiger or feline animal	5
99	虫	insect	chóng	虫、虫	虫、蚁、蛇、蟠、蛟	Stroke representing an insect or bug	4
100	血	blood	xuě	血、血	血、衄、行、衡、衣	Stroke representing blood or a bloody substance	5
101	行	walk	xíng	行、彳	行、夂、街、衡、衣	Stroke representing movement or the act of walking	4
102	衤	clothes	yī	衤、衣	衤、衣、裳、裱、裸	Abbreviated form of the 衣 radical	3
103	衣	clothes	yī	衤、衣	衣、衫、裳、裱、裸	Stroke representing clothing or textiles	4
104	襾	cover	yǎ	見	見、視、覌、親、覚	Stroke representing a covering or concealment	5
105	見	see	jiàn	見、目	見、視、親、覌、覚	Stroke representing the act of seeing or perceiving	7
106	角	horn	jiǎo	角、穴	角、角、觚、觞、觥	Stroke representing a horn or pointed projection	4
107	言	speech	yán	言、讠	言、言、詞、話、記	Stroke representing speech, words, or language	5
108	谷	valley	gǔ	谷、禾	谷、谷、豆、豌、豪	Stroke representing a valley or ravine	7
109	豆	bean	dòu	豆、亠	豆、豌、豪、貢、貞	Stroke representing a bean or legume	5
110	豕	pig	shǐ	豕、豚	豕、豬、豭、豢、豬	Stroke representing a pig or swine	7
111	豸	beast	zhì	豸、豕	豸、龇、蛇、蜥、獂	Stroke representing a ferocious animal or beast	6
112	貝	shell	bèi	貝、目	貝、費、貞、財、貢	Stroke representing a seashell or mollusk	5
113	赤	red	chì	赤、色	赤、赭、赳、趣、趣	Stroke representing the color red	4
114	走	run	zǒu	走、足	走、起、赴、超、越	Stroke representing the act of running or moving	4
115	足	foot	zú	足、止	足、跑、跡、躍、踏	Stroke representing a foot or the act of standing	7
116	身	body	shēn	身、身	身、車、軍、輅、軀	Stroke representing the human body	7
117	車	cart	chē	車、辶	車、軍、軌、輅、輦	Stroke representing a cart, carriage, or vehicle	4
118	金	metal	jīn	金、釒	金、釗、釘、鈴、鉤	Stroke representing metal or a metallic substance	8
119	長	long	cháng	長、長	長、門、間、閑、閒	Stroke representing length or something extended	9
120	門	gate	mén	門、門	門、閉、開、閑、間	Stroke representing a gate, doorway, or entrance	4
121	阜	mound	fù	阜、隹	阜、阜、防、阮、阪	Stroke representing a mound or hillock	5
122	隶	slave	lì	隶、䜌	–	Stroke representing a slave or subordinate	3
123	隹	bird	zhuī	隹、隹	隹、隹、集、雋、雍	Stroke representing a bird or fowl	4
124	雨	rain	yǔ	雨、雨	雨、雲、雷、雰、霖	Stroke representing rain or precipitation	4
125	青	blue	qīng	青、青	青、青、靑、靛、靜	Stroke representing the color blue or green	4
126	非	not	fēi	非、韋	非、韋、韭、音、韻	Stroke representing negation or opposition	6
127	面	face	miàn	面、页	面、页、頁、額、顏	Stroke representing the human face	9
128	革	leather	gé	革、革	革、革、靳、靜、革	Stroke representing leather or animal hide	6
129	靑	blue	qīng	靑、青	–	Variant form of the 青 radical	5
130	音	sound	yīn	音、立	音、韻、頌、響、韻	Stroke representing sound or a musical note	7
131	頁	page	yè	頁、頁	頁、面、頂、顔、顥	Stroke representing a page or leaf	7
132	風	wind	fēng	風、風	風、颶、飄、颱、颯	Stroke representing wind or air currents	7
133	飛	fly	fēi	飛、風	飛、飆、飄、飆、飡	Stroke representing the act of flying	7
134	食	eat	shí	食、飠	食、飭、飮、飢、飡	Stroke representing food or the act of eating	9
135	飠	eat	shí	食、飠	食、飭、飮、飢、飡	Abbreviated form of the 食 radical	4
136	香	fragrant	xiāng	鬯、香	香、鄉、鄭、鄰、鑑	Stroke representing a fragrant or aromatic scent	7
137	马	horse	mǎ	馬、马	马、馬、駒、駝、駿	Stroke representing a horse or equine animal	4
138	骨	bone	gǔ	骨、骨	骨、骼、髂、髓、髏	Stroke representing a bone or skeletal structure	7
139	高	tall	gāo	高、高	高、髙、髙、髙、髙	Stroke representing height or something tall	8
140	髟	hair	biāo	髟、髟	髟、髮、髯、髭、鬆	Stroke representing long hair or fur	5
141	鬥	fight	dòu	鬥、隹	鬥、鬥、鬭、鬮、鬱	Stroke representing conflict or fighting	7
142	鬯	sacrificial	chàng	鬯、香	鬯、香、試、貌、貿	Stroke representing a sacrificial offering	7
143	鬲	cauldron	gé	鬲、隹	鬲、鬥、鬭、鬮、鬱	Stroke representing an ancient cooking vessel	8
144	鬼	ghost	guǐ	鬼、鬼	鬼、鬼、鬼、魅、魁	Stroke representing a ghost, spirit, or supernatural being	7
145	魚	fish	yú	魚、魚	魚、鯉、鯊、鯨、鱻	Stroke representing a fish or aquatic creature	9
146	鳥	bird	niǎo	鳥、隹	鳥、鵝、鵬、鵰、鶴	Stroke representing a bird	10
147	鹵	salt	lú	鹵、鹵	鹵、鹵、卤、卤、卤	Stroke representing salt or salty substances	8
148	鹿	deer	lù	鹿、鹿	鹿、麇、麋、麟、麥	Stroke representing a deer or antlered animal	10
149	麥	wheat	mài	麥、禾	麥、糧、麵、麼、麽	Stroke representing wheat or cereal grains	8
150	麻	hemp	má	麻、亠	麻、麻、蠶、蓆、蒲	Stroke representing hemp or linen fibers	10
151	黃	yellow	huáng	黃、黑	黃、黑、黛、黜、黟	Stroke representing the color yellow	11
152	黍	millet	shǔ	黍、黍	黍、黎、黑、默、黛	Stroke representing millet or other small grains	9
153	黑	black	hēi	黑、黒	黑、墨、黧、黽、鼎	Stroke representing the color black	9
154	黹	embroidery	zhǐ	黽、黹	黹、黽、鼎、鼓、鼻	Stroke representing embroidery or needlework	12
155	黽	frog	mǐn	黽、黹	黹、黽、鼎、鼓、鼻	Stroke representing a frog or amphibious creature	8
156	鼎	cauldron	dǐng	鼎、鬲	–	Stroke representing an ancient cooking vessel	10
157	鼓	drum	gǔ	鼓、鼓	鼓、鼠、鼻、鼾、齐	Stroke representing a drum or percussive instrument	11
158	鼠	rat	shǔ	鼠、鼠	鼠、鼠、鼠、鼠、鼠	Stroke representing a rat or mouse	8
159	鼻	nose	bí	鼻、自	鼻、自、臭、嗅、齅	Stroke representing the human nose	13
160	齊	even	qí	齊、齐	–	Stroke representing uniformity or evenness	13
161	齒	tooth	chǐ	齒、齿	齒、齒、齒、齶、齼	Stroke representing a tooth or dentition	12
162	龍	dragon	lóng	龍、龙	龍、龍、龍、龍、龍	Stroke representing a dragon or mythical creature	9
163	龜	tortoise	guī	龜、龟	龜、龜、龜、龜、龜	Stroke representing a turtle or tortoise	10
164	龠	flute	yuè	龠、竽	龠、龚、龟、龙、龏	Stroke representing a musical wind instrument	12
165	亡	die	wáng	亡、冂	亡、亡、亡、亡、亡	Stroke representing death or the act of dying	2
166	夭	short-lived	yāo	夭、大	夭、大、天、太、太	Stroke representing premature death or brevity of life	3
167	玉	jade	yù	玉、王	玉、王、玉、玉、玉	Stroke representing the gemstone jade	4
168	殳	weapon	shū	殳	殳、殴、毂、毕、毋	Stroke representing a weapon or tool	5
169	毋	do not	wú	母、毋	毋、母、每、毕、毙	Stroke representing a negative imperative	3
170	邑	city	yì	邑、阜	邑、郎、郡、部、那	Stroke representing a city, town, or village	5
171	阜	mound	fù	阜、隹	阜、阜、防、阮、阪	Variant form of the 阜 radical	5
172	戊	5th heavenly stem	wù	戊、戈	戊、戉、戌、戍、戎	Stroke representing the 5th heavenly stem	3
173	殳	weapon	shū	殳、殳	–	Variant form of the 殳 radical	5
174	攴	rap	pū	攴、又	攴、又、叩、攵、收	Stroke representing a striking or beating action	3
175	斤	axe	jīn	斤、斤	斤、斧、斫、斲、斬	Stroke representing an ax or heavy tool	4
176	丙	3rd heavenly stem	bǐng	丙、兵	–	Stroke representing the 3rd heavenly stem	3
177	乞	beg	qǐ	乞、乙	乞、乙、乞、乏、乖	Stroke representing the act of begging	3
178	井	well	jǐng	井、亠	井、亞、亞、亟、亦	Stroke representing a well or spring	4
179	乃	then	nǎi	–	–	Stroke representing a conjunction or transition	3
180	屮	sprout	chè	屮、土	屮、屯、展、屹、岳	Stroke representing a sprouting plant	2
181	用	use	yòng	用、甲	用、甲、申、电、男	Stroke representing the act of using	4
182	瓜	melon	guā	瓜、缶	瓜、甜、甜、生、田	Stroke representing a melon or gourd	7
183	瓦	tile	wǎ	瓦、石	瓦、石、砖、碑、砥	Stroke representing a roof tile or ceramic	6
184	瓦	tile	wǎ	瓦、石	瓦、石、砖、碑、砥	Variant form of the 瓦 radical	6
185	甘	sweet	gān	甘、田	甘、甜、甜、生、田	Stroke representing sweetness or pleasantness	4
186	生	life	shēng	生、丹	生、甜、用、田、申	Stroke representing life, birth, or growth	4
187	用	use	yòng	用、甲	用、甲、申、电、男	Variant form of the 用 radical	4
188	田	field	tián	田	田、由、申、电、男	Stroke representing an agricultural field	5
189	疋	foot	pǐ	疋、少	疋、疗、疾、疫、痒	Stroke representing a foot or footprint	3
190	疒	sickness	niè	疒、疋	疒、疐、疠、痛、瘟	Stroke representing illness or disease	5
191	癶	movement	bō	癶、癿	癶、癿、登	Stroke representing movement or motion	3
192	白	white	bái	白、日	白、百、皂、皆、皮	Stroke representing the color white	4
193	皮	skin	pí	皮、比	皮、肉、皂、皆、膚	Stroke representing skin or hide	5
194	皿	dish	mǐn	皿、盛	皿、盆、盈、盖、盛	Stroke representing a container or serving dish	6
195	目	eye	mù	目、白	目、看、睛、睢、矮	Stroke representing the human eye	7
196	矛	spear	máo	矛、殳	矛、矢、矢、希、尖	Stroke representing a spear or pole-arm	6
197	矢	arrow	shǐ	矢、殳	矢、矛、朝、希、尖	Stroke representing an arrow or projectile	4
198	石	stone	shí	石、厂	石、砖、碍、砚、磨	Stroke representing a stone or rock	4
199	示	show	shì	禾	示、礻、祭、祥、祠	Stroke representing a display or presentation	4
200	禾	grain	hé	禾、木	禾、和、稀、稔、稻	Stroke representing a cereal grain plant	5
201	禾	grain	hé	禾、木	禾、和、稀、稔、稻	Variant form of the 禾 radical	5
202	穴	cave	xué	穴、穴	穴、窟、空、穷、突	Stroke representing a cave, hole, or hollow	4
203	立	stand	lì	立、立	立、站、竖、端、竟	Stroke representing the act of standing	4
204	竹	bamboo	zhú	竹、竹	竹、笋、笑、笼、笪	Stroke representing bamboo or a bamboo plant	6
205	米	rice	mǐ	米、米	米、粒、粥、粮、粟	Stroke representing rice or small granules	5
206	糸	thread	mì	糸、系	糸、索、絮、絲、組	Stroke representing thread, string, or silk	3
207	缶	pot	fǒu	缶、缶	缶、罐、册、簿、罐	Stroke representing a ceramic pot or vessel	5
208	羊	sheep	yáng	羊、羊	羊、羣、美、羹、羯	Stroke representing a sheep or goat	7
209	羽	feather	yǔ	羽、羽	羽、翅、翅、翊、翎	Stroke representing a feather or plume	7
210	老	old	lǎo	老、老	老、耄、考、而、君	Stroke representing old age or seniority	5
211	而	and	ér	而、而	而、老、耄、耒、耳	Stroke representing a conjunction or transition	4
212	耂	very old	lǎo	耂、老	耂、老、耄、考、耳	Variant form of the 老 radical	7
213	耒	plow	lěi	耒、耒	耒、耜、耘、耕、耨	Stroke representing a plow or agricultural tool	5
214	耳	ear	ěr	耳、耳	耳、聞、者、聳、聽	Stroke representing the human ear	7

Part5. Why learn Chinese radicals?

There are several key reasons why learning Chinese radicals is important for studying the Chinese language:

1. Character recognition and learning: Radicals provide critical clues about the meaning and pronunciation of Chinese characters. Recognizing common radicals makes it much easier to break down and remember the composition of new, unfamiliar characters.
2. Vocabulary building: Knowing radicals allows you to identify word families and relate new characters to ones you already know. This helps expand your vocabulary more efficiently.
3. Reading comprehension: Understanding the semantic and phonetic components that make up characters gives you valuable context for deciphering the meaning of texts.
4. Writing and character formation: Mastering radicals teaches you the proper stroke order and structural components needed to write Chinese characters correctly.
5. Autonomy in learning: With a grasp of radicals, you become more self-sufficient in looking up and learning new characters instead of relying solely on rote memorization.
6. Deeper cultural understanding: The origins and evolution of common radicals provide insight into Chinese history, philosophy, and the development of the written language.

Overall, investing time in learning Chinese radicals lays an essential foundation for developing proficiency in reading, writing, and comprehending the Chinese language. It’s a core building block that unlocks greater fluency and independence.

Summary

In summary, while learning Chinese can be a daunting challenge for overseas beginners, studying Chinese radicals can provide a solid foundation for learning Chinese characters. Mastering the 214 most common Chinese radicals, understanding their meanings, pronunciations, and variants, can greatly help learners comprehend and memorize Chinese characters. This not only improves learning efficiency but also fosters enthusiasm and interest in the Chinese language. For those who aspire to learn Chinese, this is undoubtedly a great starting point. Let’s embark on this fascinating linguistic journey together!

If you are interested in systematically learning Chinese radicals and components, we recommend you to sign up for a free trial class with WuKong Chinese. The experienced teachers at WuKong Chinese will thoroughly explain the importance of mastering Chinese radicals and guide you through learning the 214 most common ones.