List of Chinese Radicals

Chinese characters can be decomposed into components called radicals or bushou. The most
commonly accepted table of radicals for traditional Chinese characters consists of 214 entries.
These 214 radicals were popularized back in the reign of Qing emperor Kangxi, who
commissioned what is now known as the Kangxi Zidian, a character dictionary listing over
47,000 entries. Tables with fewer or greater number of radicals have been devised for
simplified characters. Being able to recognize the common radicals helps in the learning and
recognition of new characters. Some but not all radical are complete characters in their own
right. Some radicals have more than one form. Finally, simplified characters have resulted in
additional variants.

In the following table, the English names were taken from the Unihan database, a database of
international characters. The stroke count refer to the main form of the radical only.

no. radical variant pron. meaning exemplar use exemplar words

1 stroke
1 zh dot shhu zhy
socialism
2 y one wn ten thousand
3 gn line Zhnggu China
4 pi slash shnme what
5 y second mimi business
2 strokes
6 tu lid Bijng PRCs capital
7 bng ice bnglng ice-cold
8 m cover gunjn champion
9 yn word shuhu to talk
10 r two yxi some, several
11 sh ten huqio oversea
Chinese
12 hn cliff csu toilet
13 fng right open box yyun hospital
14 b fissure wigurn foreigner
15 do knife ly profit
16 jing down box tngxu schoolmate
17 b eight ddi younger brother
18 rn man gmng revolution
19 rn man xixi rest
20 bo wrap jzi sentence
21 rn legs Jik Czech
22 j table fnghung phoenix
23 s private syu private
24 yu right hand pngyou friend
25 yn walk jinzh build/building
26 ji seal dyn print
27 f hill (left) wixin danger
28 y capital (right) yuj post office
29 g open box hur picture
30 do knife jindo scissors
31 l power nnpngyou
boyfriend
3 strokes
32 shu water Hungh Yellow river
33 xn heart aqng love
34 min roof ji home, family
35 bed huzhung make-up
36 yn shelter shngdin shop
37 mn gate qngwn excuse me
(may I ask?)
38 chu to walk qngjn pleas enter
39 gng work gngfu skill, effort,
kung-fu
40 t earth dhzh address
41 sh knight shngyn voice
42 co grass huch jasmine tea
43 d big kujing overpraise
44 gng two hands fngq to give up
45 wng lame gng embarassed
46 cn inch smio Buddhist temple
47 y to shoot zhngsh Chinese-style
48 shu hand bw grasp, certainty
49 xio small doshao how much
50 ku mouth hch to drink tea
51 wi enclosure gngyun park
52 jn turban chngchang often
53 shn mountain sush age
54 ch step ynhng bank
55 shn decoration dinyng film, movie
56 x evening mngxing dream
57 su go fw serve
58 gu dog hli fox
59 sh food chofn fried rice
60 j hooter xnlng soul
61 sh corpse pgu backside
62 j self zj self
63 gng bow qingli strong, violent
65 n woman gniang girl
66 yo young yur yun nursery
school
67 z child hizi child
68 s silk schu silk (stuff)
69 m horse lutu camel
70 gu river niocho birds nest
4 strokes
71 hu fire rqng warm-hearted
72 du dipper cilio material
73 wn tattoo bnm zebra
74 fng square mnz nation
75 hu fire huchn dust
76 xn heart lini love
77 h door-frame dinshn ventilator
78 sh ritual lw gift
79 wng king wnqun complete
80 wi opposition Hngu South Korea
81 m tree lish willow
82 qun dog k cry
83 di evil swang death
84 ch vehicle chln steering wheel
85 g pole axe zhnzhng war
86 b compare by to graduate
87 w roof tile toc pottery
88 zh stop kndng certainly
89 p hit qiomn to knock the
door
90 r sun wnshang evening
91 yu to say gnmo (to catch) cold
92 bi shell fci to get rich
93 jin see cngun sightseeing
94 f father di daddy
95 ni cow tbi especially
96 shu hand tijqun tai-chi
97 mo hair dtn carpet
98 q air tinqi weather
99 fn beat gig reform
100 pin tablets kpin kard
101 jn axe dunli break
102 zho claw irn husband (wife)
103 ru meat xnzng heart
104 qin yawn hunyng welcome
105 fng wind piodng to float
106 sh pike Ozhu Europe
107 y brush yns earnest, sincere
109 shu water yngyun forever
5 strokes
110 xu cave tikng universe,
space
111 l stand chzhn station, bus
stop
112 chung illness izhng cancer
113 y garment qnzi skirt
114 sh ritual jnzh forbide
115 sh stone kungqun shu
mineral water
116 lng dragon kn shrine
117 y craft shy undertaking,
project
118 m eye pnwng to hope
119 tin field shji world
120 wng net fkun to get a fine
121 mn bowl gungpn CD
122 jn metal qin money
123 sh arrow zhdo to know
124 h spike gzhng any, every
125 bi white mngbai to understand
126 gu pumpkin xgu watermelon
127 nio bird koy roasted duch
128 yng use bng not to have to,
neednt
129 mo spear rurun soft
130 p roll qngch clear
131 m mother dpn poison, drug
131 p skin zhuwn wrinkle
6 strokes
132 y cloth biog form
133 yng sheep Migu America,
USA
134 m rice zhu gruel
135 li statue gngd to plough
136 lo old kosh exam
137 r ear d big (hanging) ears
138 chn vassal wpu berth
139 x west jpio airticket
140 y head wnt question,
problem
141 h tiger qinx modest
142 chng insect zhnglng cocroach
143 fu jar qudin defficiency
144 sh tongue shfu comfortable
145 zh bamboo kuizi chopsticks
146 ji scuttle jujiu uncle
147 z nose xioxi news, message
148 xu blood tioxn provoke
149 zhu boat lnchun steamship
150 y feathers chbng wing
151 gn firm jink hard
152 m silk jnzhng nervous
7 strokes
153 xn needle ljio chilli
154 yn word rngy fame
155 mi corn dmi wheat
156 zu run chosh supermarket
157 ch crimson chlu naked, nude
158 du bean g drum
159 yu pot ji alcohol, liquor
160 chn chisel zuchn lip
161 sh swine ji family, home
162 l salt cu salty
163 l village lm milimeter
164 z foot t to kick
165 zh reptile wimao appearance
166 g valley ywng yearn(ing)
167 bin differentiate shx familiar
168 shn body shnt body, health
169 jio horn jifng liberation
8 strokes
170 qng blue njng tranquil
171 q sieve xngq week
172 y rain xu snow
173 ch tooth ych tooth
174 jn metal hungjn gold
175 zhu little bird kngqe peacock
176 y fish ly carp
mn frog
9 strokes
177 yn tone fyn pronunciation
178 g leather xizi shoe
179 g bone hig sceleton
180 sh food kuicn fast food
181 gu devil mgu devil
10 strokes
182 ( du struggle rno lively, noisy
183 bio hair bn temple (part of head)
11 strokes
184 m hemp mfng mill
185 l deer qln mythical animal
12 strokes and more
186 hi black shumhu ink-
painting
187 sh rat xsh mouse
188 b nose nng snuffle