Radical Ancient Picture Meaning Cantonese

Scripts

亻 人
Man. yàhn
Related to human jan4

人
冫 冫
Ice. bīng
Related to bing1
coldness

口 口
Mouth. háu
Related to sound hau2

土
Earth. tóu
Related to land tou2

女
Woman. néuih
neoi5

子
Child. jí
zi2

山
Mountain. Related sāan
to mountain parts saan1
and altitude

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Radical Ancient Picture Meaning Cantonese
Scripts

巾
Towel. gān
Related to cloth. gan1

弓
Bow. gūng
gung1

彳
Step. chīk
Related to road chik1
and walk

忄心
Heart. sām
sam1

心
扌手
Hand. sáu
sau2

手
氵水
Water. séui
seoi2

水
犭
Dog. hyún
Relate to dog and hyun2
other animals

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Radical Ancient Picture Meaning Cantonese
Scripts

阝
Mound. fauh
fau6 on
the
left

阜 side of a
character

方
Square. Place. fōng
This radical fong1
is thought to
be derived
from a form of
punishment.

日
Sun. yaht
Related to day, jat6
time, bright and
dark

月
Moon. yuht
Related to month jyut6
and time.

⺼ 肉
Meat. yuhk
Related to juk6
internal organ

肉
and body.

木
Wood. muhk
Related to tree muk6
and things that
are made of wood.

歹
Death. dáai
This radical is daai2
derived from
fissured bone.

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Radical Ancient Picture Meaning Cantonese
Scripts

火
Fire. fó
fo2

片片
Slice. pín
pin2

牛 牛
Cow. ngàuh
ngau4

　
Jade. yuhk
𤣩 Related to jewel. juk6

玉
目
Eye. muhk
muk6

矢
Arrow. chí
ci2

石
Stone. sehk
sek6

虫
Name of a snake. wái
It is derived from
the shape of a
wai2
venomous snake.
Amphibians, insects
and reptiles have
this radical.

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Radical Ancient Picture Meaning Cantonese
Scripts

礻
Prognostication sih
from Heaven si6
(God). Related to

示
religion.

禾
Grain. wòh
wo4

米
Rice. máih
mai5

糹
Silk. sī
si1

耒
Plow. Related to leuih
agriculture leoi6

耳
Ear. yíh
ji5

舟
Boat. jāu
zau1

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Radical Ancient Picture Meaning Cantonese
Scripts

衤衣
Clothes. yī
yi1

衣
角
Horn. gok
gok3

言
To say. Saying. yìhn
It is derived from
the action of
jin4
blowing sheng, a
music instrument.

豕
Pig. chí
ci2

貝
Shell. bui
Shell was used bui3
as a form of
currency.
Related to money
and treasure

𧾷
Feet. jūk
zuk1

⾜
車
Cart. Car. chē
ce1

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Radical Ancient Picture Meaning Cantonese
Scripts

阝
City. Capital. The yāp
square on the top
means city wall.
jap1 on
the
The lower part is right

邑 a human who is
kneeling down.
side of a
character

酉
Wine. yáuh
Related to jau5
fermentated
drink or food.

金
Gold. It is derived gām
from molten gold gam1
being poured into
molds.

飠
Eat. sihk
The character sik6
is derived from

食
strage jar.
Related to food

馬
Horse. máh
maa5

魚
Fish. yùh
jyu4

齒
Teeth. chí
ci2

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Radical Ancient Picture Meaning Cantonese
Scripts

刂 刀
Knife. dōu
dou1

⼑
力
Force. It is derived lihk
from a biceps and lik6
a hand.

⼙
Kneel down. jit
zit3

⼺ 彡
Bristle. sāam
saam1

寸 寸
Inch. In Chinese chyun
medicine, doctor feels
a patient's pulse at a cyun3
postion called "inch
mouth" ( 寸口 ),
which is one inch from
the palm.

⽃
10 litres (capacity dáu
unit). It is derived dau2
from ancient wine
container.

⽄
500g (weight gān
unit). It is derived gan1
from the act of
wood cutting.

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Radical Ancient Picture Meaning Cantonese
Scripts

欠
Yawning. The him
wide open mouth him3
is the emphasis of
this character.

殳
Weapon. syùh
syu4

見
To see. The gin
character looks gin3
like a human with
a gigantic eye!

隹 隹
Short-tailed bird. jēui
zeoi1

頁
Page. It can yihp
also mean head yip6
(rare usage). It is
derived from a
human with big
head.

鳥 鸟
Long-tailed bird. níuh
niu5

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Radical Ancient Picture Meaning Cantonese
Scripts

亠 亠
Roof. tàuh
tau4

冖 冖
Cover. mihk
mik6

艹 艹
Grass. chóu
cou2

宀 宀
House. mìhn
min4

爫 爪
Claw. jáau
zaau2

爪
耂
Old. lóuh
lou5

老
癶
Feet. buht
but6

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Radical Ancient Picture Meaning Cantonese
Scripts

穴 穴
Cave. yuht
jyut6

罒
Net. móhng
mong5

网
𥫗 竹
Bamboo. jūk
zuk1

竹
虍
Tiger. fú
fu2

雨
Rain. yúh
jyu5

髟
Long hair. The left bīu
part of the character
means long, which biu1
+ +
is derived from the

彡
shape of an old man
with long hair (long
history) and the right
part means hair.

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Radical Ancient Picture Meaning Cantonese
Scripts

㣺 心
Heart. sām
sam1

心
灬
Fire. fó
fo2

火
氺 水
Water. séui
seoi2

水
皿 皿
The general term míhng
for shallow ming5
containers such
as bowl, cup, dish
and plate.

舛 舛
Oppose. The chyún
character is cyun2
derived from
two feet that are
opposite to each
other.

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Radical Ancient Picture Meaning Cantonese
Scripts

勹 勹
Wrap. It is bāau
derived from the baau1
afterbirth.

匸
Hide. Ancient hái
people used to hai2
place things such
as coffins and
containers inside
mountain caves.

匚
Box. fōng
fong1

凵 凵
Hole. hám
ham2

⼞ 囗
Enclose. wàih
wai4

气
Air. It is derived hei
from raising hei3
steam. Most
gaseous chemicals
have this radical.

行
Walk. It is derived hàhng
from crossroad. hang4

門 门
Door. mùhn
mun4

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Radical Ancient Picture Meaning Cantonese
Scripts

厂
Cliff ā
aa1

广
House that is built yíhm
on the cliff. The jim5
vertical stroke on
the top is a house.

尸
Corpse. sī
si1

戶
Household. Door. wuh
It is derived from wu6
half of a door.

疒
Sickness. It is nihk
derived from a nik6
person lying on a
bed.

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Radical Ancient Picture Meaning Cantonese
Scripts

儿
Human. yàhn
jan4

攵
Tap. bōk
bok1

攴
廴
Half of a yán
crossroad. yan2

⻌
Walk hesitatingly. cheuk
The upper part is coek3
half of a crossroad

辵
and the lower
part is a foot.

走 走
Run. The upper jáu
part is the shape zau2
of a runing human
and the lower
part is a toe.
Toe

鬼
Ghost. Ancient gwái
people visualized gwai2
ghost as an ugly
creature with
sqaure face.

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