Chinese Character Radicals

Number of strokes /
meaning in English
/ name in Chinese
1 / a point /

top

, ,

1 / one /

top

,,,,,

1 / down stroke /

middle

1 / left stroke /

left, top

,,,,,

1 / down curved /

left, right

,,

2 / ice /

left, (base)

,,,,,()

2 /

2 / knife /

top
right

2 / plenty /

Radical

Positions in
character

Examples

,,,,
,,,,,
,, ,,,

2 / big city /

left
right

2/

top, middle

,,

2 / to seal

top, right

,,

2 / private /()

top, left

, ,

2 / receptacle /

base

,,,

2 / basket /

left

,,

2 / borders

outside, top

,,,

*,

2 / person, enter

top

,,,,

2 / speech /

2 / [to have] /

left
top

2 /

top

,,,

2 / person /

left

,,,,

yu

2 / also /

left, base

,,,,,

2 / to move on /

base

,,

2 / spoon /

right

2 / son /

base

2 / table /

top, outside

do

2 / knife /

base, top, right

,,,

,,

,,,,
,,,,,,

Toronto Mandarin School

Number of strokes /
meaning in English
/ name in Chinese
2 / strength /

right, base,middle

, , ,

chng

2 / cliff /

top left

,,

2 / to divine /

top, right

,,,

2 / two /

top, base

,,,,

sh

2 / ten /

left, top, base

,,

2 / to wrap /

right

,,

3 / to walk slowly /

left

,,,

3 / frame /

left

,,

3 / enclosure /

outside

,,,,

3 / grass /

top

,,,

3 / join hands /

base

,,

3 / crooked /

middle, left

,,,

3 / silk / (, )

left / base

,,

3 / sprout

middle

3 / hand /

left

,,,,,

3 / to go /

left

,,,,

3 / roof /

top

, ,,,

3 / water /

left

,,,,

3 / heart /

3 / to eat /

left
left

3 / dog /

left

,,

3 / to follow /

top, left

,, ,

3 / pig's head

top

,,

3 / stream /

3 / feathery /

top, middle
right

3 / a dart /

left

j ,, y

3 / self/already

top

,,

3 / women

jn

3 / napkin /

Radical

Positions in
character

Examples

,,,,
, ,

,,()
,

,,,
left, base

,,,

Toronto Mandarin School

 shn

Number of strokes /
meaning / description in
Chinese
3 / mountain /

left

,,,

3 / great /

top, middle

,,,,

wn

3 / ball, pill /

right

yo

3 / tiny /

left

xio

3 / small /

gng

3 / a bow /

top
left / base

t, sh

3 / earth, scholar /

left, top, base

,,,,,

wng

3 / to perish /

top, left, base

,, ,

3 / sunset /

top, left

,,,

gung

3 / shelter /

top

,, ,

mn

3 / gate /

top

,,

3 / child /

left, base, top

,,,

4 / old /

top

,,

4 / ox /

left

,,

4 / fire /

yu

4 / flesh / (,)

base
left / base

4 / spirit /

left

,,,

4 / tap /

right

,,,

du

4 / to measure /

right

di

4 / bad, evil /

left

,,

qun

4 / dog /

base, right

4 / baked clay /

left, base

4 / not /

top

,,,

nin

4 / twenty /

top

,,

4 / wood / (,,)

left, top, base

,,,,,

wng

4 / king /

left, top, base

, ,,

xn

4 / heart /

base

,,,

hu

4 / fire /

left, base

,,,,,

wn

4 / civil /

left

Radical

Positions in
character

Examples

,,,,
,

,,,, ,
,,,

Toronto Mandarin School

 fng

Number of strokes /
meaning / description in
Chinese
4 / square, side /

left, base

,,,

4 / household /

top

,,,

yo

4 / tender, young /

top

,,

pin

4 / a strip /

left

bi

4 / treasure /

left, base

,,,

jn

4 / half kilo/

left, base

,,

sh

4 / to kill /

right

4 / day, sun /

left, top, base

,,,

ch

4 / vehicle /

left, top, base

,,,,

4 / spear /

right, left

,,,, ()

zh

4 / only to stop /

top, base, left

,,,,

yu

4 / to say, name /

4 / tooth /

left

zhng

4 / middle /

top, right

5/

top

, ,

5 / back to back /
()

top

5 / grass & cover /

top

,,

5 / to present /

top

, ,,,

5 / gold (metal) /

left, base

,,,

5 / to be ill /

left

,,,,

5 / clothes /

5 / grain / (, )

left
left, top

tin

5 / field /

top, base, left

,,,

5 / jade, pure /

left, base

sh

5 / spirit /

base

,,

5 / to be away /

base, left

,,

gn

5 / sweet /

top

5 / eye /

left, base

,,,

Radical

Positions in
character

Examples

,,,

,,,
,,,,

Toronto Mandarin School

Number of strokes /
meaning / description in
Chinese
5 / four /

top

,,

wu

5 / fifth /

left

,,

mn

5 / dish /

base

,,,,

gu

5 / melon /

right

shn

5 / to state /

left

5 / skin /

left, right

nio

5 / bird /

right, base

xu

5 / cave /

sh

5 / arrow /

top
left

bi

5 / white /

left, top, base

, ,,

zh

5 / main /

top

,,,

5 / eye /

left, base

,,

5 / business /

top

5 / to stand /

left, top, base

,,,

sh

5 / stone /(,)

6 / bamboo

left, top, base

top

6 / rice /

left, top, base

,,,,,

6 / feather, wing /

top, right, base

,,,,

6 / ear /

yng

6 / sheep /

left
top, right

6 / heading

right

,,

jio

7 / horn /

left

zu

7 / to walk /

left, base

,,

ci

8 / to separate /

8 / rain / ,

top, left
top

Radical

Positions in
character

Examples

,,
, ,

,,,,,
,,

,,,
,

,,
,,,,

Toronto Mandarin School