noun HSK 5
radical · character radical · radical component
Meaning
A radical is the indexing component of a Chinese character, traditionally used to organize characters in dictionaries. Most Chinese characters are composed of a radical (which often hints at meaning) plus other components. There are 214 traditional radicals in the Kangxi system.
Usage
Commonly used in educational contexts when learning to write Chinese characters or look up words in dictionaries. Students learn to identify the radical to understand character structure and meaning relationships. In modern usage, people also say 偏旁 (piān páng) for character components more generally.
Examples
- 01这个汉字的部首是三点水。.The radical of this Chinese character is the three-dots-water radical.
- 02学习部首可以帮助你更好地记忆汉字。.Learning radicals can help you better memorize Chinese characters.
Characters
Measure words
- 个一个部首
Common collocations
- 查部首to look up by radical
- 部首检字法radical lookup method
- 常用部首commonly used radicals
Origin
Literally 'section head' or 'chief part', referring to the primary classificatory component of a character used for dictionary organization.