Chinese Radicals

Tap a radical to see its meaning, examples and strokes.

#9 · rén · person

2 strokes

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Characters with this radical

Check the stroke order of any Chinese characterType or draw it, watch it written stroke by stroke, then write it yourself.

What is a radical in Chinese?

A radical (部首, bùshǒu) is a component of a character that is used to sort dictionaries and often hints at the meaning or category. For example 氵 (water) appears in 河 (river), 海 (sea) and 洗 (wash). The traditional Kangxi dictionary system has 214 radicals.

FAQ

How many Chinese radicals are there?

214 in the Kangxi system; modern dictionaries use somewhat fewer (about 200) and some simplified forms.

Do radicals always tell you the meaning?

Often, but not always. They are a hint about meaning or category; many characters also contain a part that hints at the sound.

Which radicals should I learn first?

Start with the common ones in the first tab; the quiz helps you practise spotting them.

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