The following tables present the 214 Chinese radicals, also known as “bushou” (部首 – bù shǒu). These are the building blocks that make up Chinese characters.
Chinese Radical Changes
Note that certain radicals may have more than one form of writing. In fact, some radicals change shape depending on their position within a character. For each radical, the table includes the variants (if applicable), along with the corresponding Pinyin and English translation.
Single Stroke
| Radical | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 一 | yī | one |
| 丨 | gǔn | line |
| 丶 | zhǔ | dot |
| 丿 / 乀 / 乁 | piě | slash |
| 乙 / 乚 / 乛 | yì | second |
| 亅 | jué | hook |
2 Strokes
| Radical | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 二 | èr | two |
| 亠 | tóu | lid |
| 人 / 亻 | rén | person |
| 儿 | ér | legs |
| 入 | rù | enter |
| 八 / 丷 | bā | eight |
| 冂 | jiǒng | down box |
| 冖 | mì | cover |
| 冫 | bīng | ice |
| 几 | jī | table |
| 凵 | qǔ | open box |
| 刀 / 刂 | dāo | knife |
| 力 | lì | strength |
| 勹 | bāo | wrap |
| 匕 | bǐ | spoon |
| 匚 | fāng | open box (right) |
| 匸 | xǐ | hidden enclosure |
| 十 | shí | ten |
| 卜 | bǔ | divination |
| 卩 | jié | seal |
| 厂 | hàn | cliff |
| 厶 | sī | private |
| 又 | yòu | again |
3 Strokes
| Radical | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 口 | kǒu | mouth |
| 囗 | wéi | enclosure |
| 土 | tǔ | earth/soil |
| 士 | shì | scholar |
| 夂 | suī | go (slowly) |
| 夊 | zhi | go (slowly) |
| 夕 | xì | evening |
| 大 | dà | big/large |
| 女 | nǚ | woman |
| 子 | zǐ | child |
| 宀 | mián | roof |
| 寸 | cùn | inch |
| 小 | xiǎo | small |
| 尢 / 尣 | wāng | lame |
| 尸 | shī | corpse |
| 屮 | chè | shoot/sprout |
| 山 | shān | mountain |
| 川 / 巛 / 巜 | chuān | river/stream |
| 工 | gōng | work |
| 己 | jǐ | self |
| 巾 | jīn | towel/turban |
| 干 | gān | dry |
| 幺 | yāo | tiny |
| 广 | yǎn | cliff with dot |
| 廴 | yǐn | long stride |
| 廾 | gǒng | both hands |
| 弋 | yì | shoot/hunt |
| 弓 | gōng | bow |
| 彐 / 彑 | jì | snout/mask |
| 彡 | shān | bristle |
| 彳 | chì | step |
4 Strokes
| Radical | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 心 / 忄 | xīn | Heart |
| 戈 | gē | Halberd |
| 戶 | hù | Door |
| 手 / 扌 | shǒu | Hand |
| 支 | zhī | Branch |
| 攴 / 攵 | bū | Strike |
| 文 | wén | Writing |
| 斗 | dǒu | Dipper |
| 斤 | jīn | Axe |
| 方 | fāng | Square |
| 无 | wú | None |
| 日 | rì | Sun |
| 曰 | yuē | Say |
| 月 | yuè | Moon |
| 木 | mù | Wood |
| 欠 | qiàn | Lack |
| 止 | zhǐ | Stop |
| 歹 | dǎi | Death |
| 殳 | shū | Weapon |
| 毋 | mú | Not |
| 比 | bǐ | Compare |
| 毛 | máo | Fur |
| 氏 | shì | Clan |
| 气 | qì | Steam |
| 水 / 氵 | shuǐ | Water |
| 火 / 灬 | huǒ | Fire |
| 爪 / 爫 | zhǎo | Claw |
| 父 | fù | Father |
| 爻 | yáo | Double |
| 爿 / 丬 | qiáng | Half of a Tree Trunk |
| 片 | piàn | Slice |
| 牙 | yá | Tooth |
| 牛 / 牜 | niú | Cow |
| 犬 / 犭 | quǎn | Dog |
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5 Strokes
| Radical | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 玄 | xuán | profound |
| 玉 / 王 | yù | jade |
| 瓜 | guā | melon |
| 瓦 | wǎ | tile |
| 甘 | gān | sweet |
| 生 | shēng | life |
| 用 | yòng | to use |
| 田 | tián | field |
| 疋 | pǐ | bolt of cloth |
| 疒 | chuáng | sickness |
| 癶 | bò | tent with opening |
| 白 | bái | white |
| 皮 | pí | skin |
| 皿 | mǐn | dish |
| 目 | mù | eye |
| 矛 | máo | spear |
| 矢 | shǐ | arrow |
| 石 | shí | stone |
| 示/礻 | shì | spirit |
| 禸 | rǒu | animal tracks |
| 禾 | hé | grain |
| 穴 | xué | cave |
| 立 | lì | stand |
6 Strokes
| Radical | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 竹 / ⺮ | zhú | bamboo |
| 米 | mǐ | rice |
| 糸 | mì | silk |
| 缶 | fǒu | jar |
| 网 / 罒 | wǎng | net |
| 羊 | yáng | sheep |
| 羽 | yǔ | feather |
| 老 | lǎo | old |
| 而 | ér | and |
| 耒 | lěi | plow |
| 耳 | ěr | ear |
| 聿 | yù | brush |
| 肉 | ròu | meat |
| 臣 | chén | minister |
| 自 | zì | self |
| 至 | zhì | to reach |
| 臼 | jiù | mortar |
| 舌 | shé | tongue |
| 舛 | chuǎn | oppose |
| 舟 | zhōu | boat |
| 艮 | gèn | stopping |
| 色 | sè | color |
| 艸 / 艹 | cǎo | grass |
| 虍 | hū | tiger |
| 虫 | chóng | insect |
| 血 | xuě | blood |
| 行 | xíng | to walk, to form |
| 衣 / 衤 | yī | clothes |
| 襾 / 覀 | yà | west |
7 Strokes
| Radical | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 見 | jiàn | see |
| 角 | jué | horn |
| 言 | yán | speech |
| 谷 | gǔ | valley |
| 豆 | dòu | bean |
| 豖 | shǐ | pig |
| 豸 | zhì | badger |
| 貝 | bèi | shell |
| 赤 | chì | red |
| 走 | zǒu | walk |
| 足 | zú | foot |
| 身 | shēn | body |
| 車 | chē | cart |
| 辛 | xīn | spicy |
| 辰 | chén | morning |
| 辵 / 辶 | chuò | walk |
| 邑 / 阝 | yì | city |
| 酉 | yǒu | wine |
| 釆 | biàn | distinguish |
| 里 | lǐ | village |
8 Strokes
| Radical | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 金 | jīn | gold |
| 長 | cháng | long |
| 門 | mén | door |
| 阜 / 阝 | fù | mound |
| 隶 | dài | servant |
| 隹 | zhuī | short-tailed bird |
| 雨 | yǔ | rain |
| 青 | qīng | blue, green |
| 非 | fēi | mistake, fault |
9 Strokes
| Radical | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 面 | miàn | face |
| 革 | gé | leather |
| 韋 | wéi | tanned leather |
| 韭 | jiǔ | leek |
| 音 | yīn | sound |
| 頁 | yè | page |
| 風 | fēng | wind |
| 飛 | fēi | to fly |
| 食 / 飠 | shí | to eat |
| 首 | shǒu | head |
| 香 | xiāng | fragrance |
10 Strokes
| Radical | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 馬 | mǎ | horse |
| 骨 | gǔ | bone |
| 高 | gāo | high |
| 髟 | biāo | hair |
| 鬥 | dòu | fight |
| 鬯 | chàng | sacrificial wine |
| 鬲 | lì | cauldron |
| 鬼 | guǐ | ghost |
11 Strokes
| Radical | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 魚 | yú | fish |
| 鳥 | niǎo | bird |
| 鹵 | lǔ | salt |
| 鹿 | lù | deer |
| 麥 | mài | wheat |
| 麻 | má | hemp |
12 Strokes
| Radical | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 黃 | huáng | yellow |
| 黍 | shǔ | millet |
| 黑 | hēi | black |
| 黹 | zhǐ | embroidery |
13+ Strokes
| Radical | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 黽 | mǐn | frog |
| 鼎 | dǐng | tripod |
| 鼓 | gǔ | drum |
| 鼠 | shǔ | mouse |
| 鼻 | bí | nose |
| 齊 | qǐ | even |
| 齒 | chǐ | tooth |
| 龍 | lóng | dragon |
| 龜 | guī | turtle |
| 龠 | yuè | flute |
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