TILMAN ARETZS BLOG [http://taretz.blogspot.

com]Guide to the 214 Radicals

Guide to the 214 Radicals

Table of the 214 Radicals
Explanation: The 214 Radicals (bushou ) are the most common classification system used in dictionaries for

traditional Chinese characters (fantizi ). That system was developed towards the end of the Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644) and became widespread after being used in the famous Kangxi Dictionary (Kangxi Zidian )
which was published in 1716 and contained more than 47,000 characters.
1

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

82

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

110

111

112

113

114

115

116

117

118

119

120

121

122

123

124

125

126

127

128

129

130

131

132

133

134

135

136

137

138

139

140

141

142

143

144

145

146

147

148

149

150

151

152

153

154

155

156

157

158

159

160

161

162

163

164

165

166

167

168

169

170

171

172

173

174

175

176

177

178

179

180

181

182

183

184

185

186

187

188

189

190

191

192

193

194

195

196

197

198

199

200

201

202

203

204

205

206

207

208

209

210

213

214

211 212

Note: The red number in the circle refers to the number of strokes of the Radical.

Sources

Wei Chu-hsien : How to recognize Chinese characters. [] An introduction to the 214

Radicals of Chinese thought and script. First published in Tokyo 1923.
Far East Concise English-Chinese Chinese-English Dictionary. [ ] Far East Book Co.
Ltd., Taipei 1981. ISBN: 957-612-018-7
Mathews Chinese-English Dictionary. [] Revised edition, Harvard University Press 1943. ISBN:
0674123506

TILMAN ARETZS BLOG [http://taretz.blogspot.com]Guide to the 214 Radicals

Pronunciation and meaning of the 214 Radicals

ONE-STROKE RADICALS [TOTAL 6 RADICALS]
No. Radical Pronunciation
1
Y
2
3

Meaning in English
One

No. Radical Pronunciation

4
Pi

Gn

Baton

Zh

Top dot

Meaning in English
Part

Sickle sign

Je

Hook

TWO-STROKE RADICALS [TOTAL 23 RADICALS]

No. Radical Pronunciation
7
r
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

Meaning in English
Two

No. Radical Pronunciation

19
L

Tu

Cover

20

Rn

Man

21

Rn

Support

22

Enter

23

Eight

24

Jing

Opening out

25

Cover

26

Bng

Ice

27

Low table

28

Gutter / pit

29

Do

Knife

Meaning in English
Force

Bo

Enfold

Spoon

Fng

Open basket

Cover

Sh

Ten

Foretell

Ji

Kneel

Hn

Cliff shelter

Bind

Yo

Grip

THREE-STROKE RADICALS [TOTAL 31 RADICALS]

No. Radical Pronunciation
30
Ku
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45

Meaning in English
Mouth

No. Radical Pronunciation

46
Shn

Wi

Enclose

47

Earth

48

Sh

Scholar

49

Zh

Follow

50

Su

Shackle

51

Evening

52

Big

53

Woman

54

Son

55

Min

Roof

56

Cn

Inch

57

Xio

Small

58

Wng

Weak

59

Sh

Corpse

60

Ch

Sprout

Meaning in English
Mountain

Chun

Stream

Gng

Work

Middle

Jn

Kerchief

Gn

To shield

Yo

Feeble

Yn

Open shelter

Yn

Going

Gng

Unite

Discus

Gng

Bow

Snout

Shn

Ornate

Ch

Step forth

TILMAN ARETZS BLOG [http://taretz.blogspot.com]Guide to the 214 Radicals

FOUR-STROKE RADICALS [TOTAL 34 RADICALS]

No. Radical Pronunciation
61
Xn
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77

Meaning in English
Heart

No. Radical Pronunciation

78
Di

Battle-axe

79

Door

80

Shu

Hand

81

Zh

Branch

82

Tap / rap

83

Wn

Civilized

84

Du

Bushel

85

Jn

Axe / pound

86

Fng

Square

87

No

88

Sun

89

Yu

Say

90

Yu

Moon

91

Wood

92

Qin

To owe

93

Zh

Halt

94

Meaning in English
Bad

Sh

Crook

No

Compare

Mo

Hair

Sh

Family

Ether

Shi

Water

Ho

Fire

Zho / zha

Claw

Father

Yo

Change

Qing

Bedstead

Pin

Board

Tooth

Ni

Ox

Qun

Dog

FIVE-STROKE RADICALS [TOTAL 23 RADICALS]

No. Radical Pronunciation
95
Xun
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106

Meaning in English
Hidden

No. Radical Pronunciation

107
P

Jade

108

Gu

Gourd

109

Tile

110

Gn

Sweet

111

Shng

Grow

112

Yng

To use

113

Tin

Field

114

Bolt of cloth

115

Chung

Sick

116

Depart

117

B / bi

White

Meaning in English
Skin

Mn

Vessel

Eye

Mo

Lance

Sh

Arrow

Sh

Stone

Sh

Worship

Ru

Grip

Corn

Xu

Cave

Stand up

SIX-STROKE RADICALS [TOTAL 29 RADICALS]

No. Radical Pronunciation
118
Zh
119
120
121

Meaning in English
Bamboo

No. Radical Pronunciation

122
Wng

Rice

123

Thread

124

Fu

Pottery

125

Meaning in English
Net

Yng

Goat

Feather

Lo

Old

TILMAN ARETZS BLOG [http://taretz.blogspot.com]Guide to the 214 Radicals

126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136

Attach

137

Li

Plowshare

138

Ear

139

Pen

140

R / ro

Flesh

141

Chn

Eye / officer

142

Self

143

Zh

Reach

144

Ji

Mortar

145

Sh

Tongue

146

Chun

Apart

Zhu

Boat

Gn

Aversion

Colour / sex

Co

Grass

Tiger

Hi

Vermin

Xu

Blood

Xng

Go

Clothes

Y / [x]

Cover

SEVEN-STROKE RADICALS [TOTAL 20 RADICALS]

No. Radical Pronunciation
147
Jin
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156

Meaning in English
See

No. Radical Pronunciation

157
Z

Je

Horn

158

Yn

Speak

159

Valley

160

Do

Bean

161

Sh

Pig

162

Zh

Carnivorous

163

Be

Vulvate shell

164

Ch

Red

165

Zu

Walk

166

Meaning in English
Content

Shn

Body

J / ch

Cart

Xn

Bitter

Chn

Hour

Chu

Go up

Walled city

Yu

Jar

Bin

Mark

Circuit

EIGHT-STROKE RADICALS [TOTAL 9 RADICALS]

No. Radical Pronunciation
167
Jn
168
169
170
171

Meaning in English
Metal

No. Radical Pronunciation

172
Zhi

Chng

Elder / long

173

Mn

Gate

174

Mound

175

Da

Grasp

Meaning in English
Sparrow

Rain

Qng

Green

Fi

No

NINE-STROKE RADICALS [TOTAL 11 RADICALS]

No. Radical Pronunciation
176
Min
177
178
179
180
181

Meaning in English
Face

No. Radical Pronunciation

182
Fng

Hide

183

Wi

Leather cover

184

Ji

Leek

185

Yn

Sound

186

Head

Meaning in English
Wind

Fi

Fly

Sh

Eat

Shu

Head / leader

Xing

Fragrant

TILMAN ARETZS BLOG [http://taretz.blogspot.com]Guide to the 214 Radicals

TEN-STROKE RADICALS [TOTAL 8 RADICALS]

No. Radical Pronunciation
187
M
188
189
190

Meaning in English
Horse

No. Radical Pronunciation

191
Do

Bone

192

Go

High

193

Bio

Hair

194

Meaning in English
Fight

Chng

Spirits

Cooker

Gi

Bogy

ELEVEN-STROKE RADICALS [TOTAL 6 RADICALS]

No. Radical Pronunciation
195
Y
196
197

Meaning in English
Fish

No. Radical Pronunciation

198
L

Nio

Bird

199

Raw salt

200

Meaning in English
Deer

M / ma

Wheat

Hemp

TWELVE-STROKE RADICALS [TOTAL 4 RADICALS]

No. Radical Pronunciation
201
Hung
202

Sh

Meaning in English
Yellow

No. Radical Pronunciation

203
H / hi

Panicled millet

204

Zh

Meaning in English
Black
Stitch

THIRTEEN-STROKE RADICALS [TOTAL 4 RADICALS]

No. Radical Pronunciation
205
Mn
206

Dng

Meaning in English
Toad

No. Radical Pronunciation

207
G

Boiler

208

Sh

Meaning in English
Drum
Rat

FOURTEEN-STROKE RADICALS [TOTAL 2 RADICALS]

No. Radical Pronunciation
209
B

Meaning in English
Nose

No. Radical Pronunciation

210
Q

Meaning in English
Bar

FIFTEEN-STROKE RADICALS [TOTAL 1 RADICAL]

No. Radical Pronunciation
211
Ch

Meaning in English
Teeth

SIXTEEN-STROKE RADICALS [TOTAL 2 RADICALS]

No. Radical Pronunciation
212
Lng

Meaning in English
Dragon

No. Radical Pronunciation

213
Gi

Meaning in English
Tortoise

SEVENTEEN-STROKE RADICALS [TOTAL 1 RADICAL]

No. Radical Pronunciation
214

Yu

Meaning in English

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File name: B-214Rad.pdf

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File last edited/updated on Mon, Aug. 8, 2016

Compiled by Tilman Aretz (taretz.blogspot.com)

File first posted online on Thu, Oct. 8, 2009