Chinese Radicals List — The Building Blocks of Every Character

Almost every Chinese character is built from a smaller set of recurring parts called radicals. Once you can spot them, characters stop looking random — you start seeing structure, meaning hints and pronunciation clues.

Updated June 2026

A radical (部首 bùshǒu) is a recurring component that characters are built from. Traditional dictionaries organise every character under one of these parts, and many radicals carry meaning: 氵hints at water, 木 at wood and trees, 心 at the heart and feelings. Learning to see radicals turns a wall of strokes into a small set of familiar pieces.

The radicals, by how many characters use them

Below are the radicals found across our character data, the most productive first, with a few example characters for each. Tap any character to explore it.

Radical	Meaning	Examples	Characters
扌	—	才扎扑打扔托	153
氵	—	汁汉汊汗汛江	140
口	mouth; classifier for things with mouths (people, domestic animals, cannons, wells etc)	古句另叨叩只	137
木	(bound form) tree; (bound form) wood	未末本术朱朴	125
亻	—	亿什仁仅仆仇	106
艹	—	艺艾节芟芥芦	83
讠	—	计订认讥讨让	74
⺼	—	肋肌肘肚肝肠	59
辶	—	边辽达迁迅过	58
钅	—	针钉钏钓钝钢	57
女	female; woman	奴奶奸她好如	51
纟	—	红约级纪纬纯	51
忄	—	忙忤忧快忻怀	50
土	earth; dust	圣在圭地场址	48
心	heart; mind	必忌忍忒志忘	45
日	(bound form) sun; day	旦旧旨早旬旱	44
阝	—	那邦邪邱邻郊	44
虫	variant of 蟲\|虫[chong2]	虱虹虺虼虽蚁	43
宀	—	宁它宅宇守安	41
⺮	—	竿笃笆笏笑笔	41
贝	sea shell; money, currency	负贡财责贤败	41
火	fire; urgent	灭灯灰灶灾灿	33
王	king or monarch; best or strongest of its type	玎玛玩玫环现	33
疒	—	疖疟疥疫疮疯	32
刂	—	刑划列则刚创	30
石	rock; stone	矶矿码砌砍砖	29
目	eye; (literary) to look	直相盹盼盾省	27
禾	(bound form) grain plant; cereal crop	秀私秃秉秋种	27
大	big; large	买天太夫夭央	25
犭	—	犯犹狂狄狍狐	24
足	(bound form) foot; leg	跃跌跑跟跤跨	24
一	one; single	丁七万丈三上	23
鸟	bird; CL:隻\|只[zhi1],群[qun2]	鸠鸡鸦鸪鸬鸮	23
车	car; vehicle	军斩轧轨转轭	22
巾	towel; general purpose cloth	市布帅帆师希	22
广	wide; numerous	平庄庆庇床序	22
马	horse; CL:匹[pi3]	驮驯驰驱驳驴	21
攵	—	收改攻放政故	20
力	power; force	劝办功加劣动	19
穴	cave; cavity	究穷穹空穿突	19
页	—	顶顷项顺顽顾	19
山	mountain; hill (CL:座[zuo4])	岁岂岔岖岛岩	17
彳	—	役彼往征径待	17
门	gate; door	闩闪闭问闯闲	17
又	(once) again; also	叉及友双反发	16
囗	—	囚四回因团囫	16
戈	dagger-axe; abbr. for 戈瑞[ge1 rui4]	戍戏成我戒或	16
饣	—	蚀饥饫饭饮饰	16
冫	—	习冰冲决况冷	15
尸	(literary) person representing the deceased (during burial ceremonies); (literary) to put a corpse on display (after execution)	尺尼尽尾尿局	15
田	field; farm	毗由甲申男甸	15
十	ten; 10	丧千升午半华	14
儿	child; son	允元兄充兆先	14
灬	—	点烈热焉焦然	14
皿	(bound form) dish; vessel	盂盆盈益盏盐	14
雨	rain; CL:陣\|阵[zhen4],場\|场[chang2]	雪零雷雹雾需	14
子	son; child	孔孕字存孙孚	13
衤	—	补衫衲袍袖被	13
酉	10th earthly branch: 5-7 p.m., 8th solar month (8th September-7th October), year of the Rooster; ancient Chinese compass point: 270° (west)	酊酌配酒酩酬	13
亠	—	亡交亥亦产亨	12
礻	—	礼祀祈祉祖祝	12
米	uncooked rice; meter (unit of length)	籴粉粒粗粘粜	12
丿	—	乃久么义之乌	11
厂	factory; yard	厄厅历厉压厌	11
羽	feather, plume; wings	翁翅翎翔翠翡	11
耳	ear; handle (archaeology)	耶耸耻耽聂聋	11
人	person; people	今介从仑仓令	10
弓	a bow (weapon); CL:張\|张[zhang1]	引弗弟张弥弦	10
牛	ox; cow	牝牡牢牧物牲	10
立	to stand; to set up	亲竖站竞竟章	9
手	hand; (formal) to hold	承拜拳拿挲掌	9
糸	—	系素索紧紫累	9
衣	clothes; CL:件[jian4]	表衮衰袋裂装	9
二	two; 2	于亏云互五井	8
八	eight	公六共兴兵其	8
方	square; power or involution (math.)	施旁旅旋旌族	8
欠	to owe; to lack	次欢欣欲欺款	8
走	to walk; to go	赴赶起趁超越	8
曰	—	曲更曷曾替最	7
月	moon; month	有朋服朔望朝	7
罒	—	罗罚罢罩罪置	7
羊	sheep; goat	美羔羚羞羡群	7
隹	—	雀雄雅集雇雏	7
丨	—	个中丰串临书	6
丷	—	兰关养兼兽单	6
凵	—	凶凸凹出击凿	6
刀	knife; blade	刃分切初剪劈	6
寸	inch; small, tiny	对导寿封射尊	6
户	a household; door	居戾房所扁扇	6
殳	—	殴段殷殿毁毂	6
白	white; snowy	百皂的皆皇皎	6
见	to see; to meet	观规视觉觌觐	6
言	words; speech	訇誉誊誓警譬	6
丶	—	丹为主丽举	5
冂	—	冈册再冒冕	5
冖	—	写农冠冤冥	5
几	how many; how much	凡凤凭凯凳	5
卩	—	卯印即却卸	5
夕	—	外夙多夜够	5
廾	—	开异弃弄弊	5
彡	—	形彩彰影须	5
舌	tongue	敌舍舒舔辞	5
斤	catty; (PRC) weight equal to 500 g	斥斧断斯新	5
止	to stop; to prohibit	正此步武歪	5
歹	bad; wicked	死殃残殓殡	5
矢	arrow; dart	知矩矬短矮	5
鱼	fish (CL:條\|条[tiao2],尾[wei3]); used in the names of various aquatic animals that are not fish (including abalone 鮑魚\|鲍鱼[bao4 yu2], alligators and crocodiles 鱷魚\|鳄鱼[e4 yu2] and octopi 章魚\|章鱼[zhang1 yu2])	稣鲁鲜鳄鳞	5
舟	boat, ship	航般舱舵船	5
辛	bitter; toilsome, laborious	辜辟辨辩辫	5
革	animal hide; leather	靶鞋鞍鞘鞭	5
骨	bone	骸骼髅髑髓	5
幺	—	乡幻幼幽	4
夂	—	务处备惫	4
勹	—	勾勿匀包	4
匸	—	匹区医匿	4
彐	—	寻归录灵	4
小	small; tiny	少尔尖尘	4
⺌	—	尚尝当辉	4
工	work; worker	左巧巫差	4
金	gold; chemical element Au	釜鉴錾鏊	4
乚	—	也乱乳	3
亅	—	了争事	3
匕	—	化北匙	3
匚	—	匠匣匪	3
厶	—	去参篡	3
士	member of the senior ministerial class (old); scholar (old)	壮声壶	3
干	old variant of 乾\|干[gan1]	年并幸	3
文	language; culture	斋斐斑	3
斗	to fight; to struggle	料斜斟	3
水	water; (after a name) ... River	永泉浆	3
爫	—	爱爵觅	3
示	to show; to reveal	祭禀禁	3
缶	—	缸缺罐	3
耒	—	耕耗耙	3
虍	—	虐虔虚	3
行	(bound form) to walk; to go	街衙衡	3
豸	—	豹豺貌	3
里	variant of 裡\|里[li3]	重野量	3
鬼	disembodied spirit; ghost	魁魂魔	3
入	to enter; to go into	全内	2
⺊	—	占贞	2
㔾	—	危卷	2
夊	—	复夏	2
巛	—	巡巢	2
巳	6th earthly branch: 9-11 a.m., 4th solar month (5th May-5th June), year of the Snake; ancient Chinese compass point: 150°	巴巷	2
廴	—	延建	2
弋	—	式弑	2
⺗	—	恭慕	2
母	mother; elderly female relative	每毒	2
比	to compare; (followed by a noun and adjective) more {adj.} than {noun}	毕毙	2
毛	hair; feather	毫毯	2
氺	—	求泰	2
片	thin piece; flake	版牌	2
犬	(literary) dog; Kangxi radical 94	状献	2
玉	jade	玺璧	2
瓜	melon; gourd	瓣瓤	2
瓦	roof tile; abbr. for 瓦特[wa3 te4]	瓮瓶	2
甘	(bound form) sweet; pleasant (contrasted with 苦[ku3]: bitter, unpleasant)	甚甜	2
疋	foot	疏疑	2
禸	—	离禽	2
耂	—	考者	2
而	and; as well as	耍耐	2
自	(bound form) self; oneself	臬臭	2
臼	mortar	舀舅	2
舛	—	舜舞	2
覀	—	要覆	2
角	angle; corner	解触	2
豕	—	象豪	2
赤	red; scarlet	赦赫	2
身	body; life	躲躺	2
非	to not be; not	辈靠	2
釆	—	采释	2
青	green; blue	靖静	2
风	wind; news	飕飘	2
髟	—	鬃鬓	2
黍	—	黎黏	2
乙	—	九	1
⺀	—	冬	1
卜	(bound form) to divine	卦	1
臣	state official or subject in dynastic China; I, your servant (used in addressing the sovereign)	卧	1
乛	—	卫	1
丬	—	将	1
尢	—	就	1
屮	—	屯	1
己	self; oneself	已	1
攴	—	敲	1
旡	—	既	1
爪	(coll.) foot of an animal or bird; (coll.) foot supporting a cooking pot etc	爬	1
父	(bound form) father; (bound form) male relative of father's generation (as in 伯父[bo2 fu4])	爸	1
爻	—	爽	1
玄	deep, profound, abstruse	率	1
生	to grow; to give birth	甥	1
用	to use; to make use of	甩	1
癶	—	登	1
皮	skin; peel	皱	1
矛	spear; lance	矜	1
⺳	—	罕	1
肀	—	肃	1
聿	—	肆	1
至	to arrive; most	致	1
艮	one of the Eight Trigrams 八卦[ba1 gua4], symbolizing mountain; ☶	良	1
色	color; CL:種\|种[zhong3]	艳	1
鬲	—	融	1
谷	grain; corn	豁	1
辰	5th earthly branch: 7-9 a.m., 3rd solar month (5th April-4th May), year of the Dragon; ancient Chinese compass point: 120°	辱	1
食	to eat; food	餐	1
香	fragrant; sweet smelling	馨	1
鹿	deer	麋	1
黑	black; dark	默	1
鼠	(bound form) rat; mouse	鼬	1
龙	Chinese dragon; loong	龛	1
卤	salt		0
川	(bound form) river; creek		0
支	to support; to sustain		0
无	not to have; no		0
氏	(bound form) family name; surname (as in 王氏[Wang2 shi4] "the Wang clan")		0
民	(bound form) the people; inhabitants of a country		0
气	gas; air		0
牙	tooth; ivory		0
网	net; web		0
老	prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity; old (of people)		0
肉	meat; flesh		0
虎	tiger; brave, fierce		0
血	blood; colloquial pr. [xie3]		0
西	west		0
豆	legume; pulse		0
邑	city; village		0
长	long; (bound form) length		0
隶	subservient; servant		0
面	face; side		0
韦	tanned leather; surname		0
韭	scallion, leek, chive		0
音	sound; noise		0
飞	to fly		0
首	head; chief		0
高	high; tall		0
麦	wheat; barley		0
麻	hemp (variant of 麻[ma2])		0
黄	yellow; pornographic		0
鼎	ancient cooking cauldron with two looped handles and three or four legs; pot (dialect)		0
鼓	old variant of 鼓[gu3]		0
鼻	nose		0
齐	neat; even		0
齿	(bound form) tooth; (bound form) to regard as worthy of mention		0

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