偏旁部首 · Radicals
30 Common Chinese Radicals for Beginners (Chart + Free Worksheet)
Most Chinese characters are built from smaller parts. A radical (部首 bùshǒu) is the part used to sort characters in a dictionary, and it often hints at the meaning. Characters with 氵 (water) are often about water: 河 river, 海 sea. Learning about 30 common radicals makes new characters much easier to remember.
The 30 radicals
| Radical | Name | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 亻 | 单人旁 dānrénpáng | person | 你 nǐ, 他 tā |
| 口 | 口字旁 kǒuzìpáng | mouth | 吃 chī, 喝 hē |
| 氵 | 三点水 sāndiǎnshuǐ | water | 河 hé, 海 hǎi |
| 扌 | 提手旁 tíshǒupáng | hand | 打 dǎ, 找 zhǎo |
| 木 | 木字旁 mùzìpáng | tree; wood | 林 lín, 树 shù |
| 女 | 女字旁 nǚzìpáng | woman | 妈 mā, 姐 jiě |
| 日 | 日字旁 rìzìpáng | sun; day | 明 míng, 晚 wǎn |
| 月 | 月字旁 yuèzìpáng | moon; body | 朋 péng, 脸 liǎn |
| 忄 | 竖心旁 shùxīnpáng | heart; feeling | 忙 máng, 快 kuài |
| 火 | 火字旁 huǒzìpáng | fire | 灯 dēng, 炒 chǎo |
| 土 | 提土旁 títǔpáng | earth; soil | 地 dì, 场 chǎng |
| 艹 | 草字头 cǎozìtóu | grass; plant | 花 huā, 草 cǎo |
| 讠 | 言字旁 yánzìpáng | speech | 说 shuō, 话 huà |
| 纟 | 绞丝旁 jiǎosīpáng | silk; thread | 红 hóng, 线 xiàn |
| 钅 | 金字旁 jīnzìpáng | metal | 钱 qián, 铁 tiě |
| 辶 | 走之底 zǒuzhīdǐ | walk; move | 这 zhè, 远 yuǎn |
| 宀 | 宝盖头 bǎogàitóu | roof; house | 家 jiā, 字 zì |
| 犭 | 反犬旁 fǎnquǎnpáng | animal | 狗 gǒu, 猫 māo |
| 饣 | 食字旁 shízìpáng | food | 饭 fàn, 饺 jiǎo |
| 疒 | 病字旁 bìngzìpáng | illness | 病 bìng, 疼 téng |
| ⻊ | 足字旁 zúzìpáng | foot | 跑 pǎo, 跳 tiào |
| 目 | 目字旁 mùzìpáng | eye | 眼 yǎn, 睛 jīng |
| ⻗ | 雨字头 yǔzìtóu | rain; weather | 雪 xuě, 雷 léi |
| ⺮ | 竹字头 zhúzìtóu | bamboo | 笔 bǐ, 笑 xiào |
| 刂 | 立刀旁 lìdāopáng | knife | 到 dào, 别 bié |
| 衤 | 衣字旁 yīzìpáng | clothing | 衫 shān, 裤 kù |
| 礻 | 示字旁 shìzìpáng | spirit; blessing | 福 fú, 礼 lǐ |
| 门 | 门字框 ménzìkuàng | door | 问 wèn, 间 jiān |
| 贝 | 贝字旁 bèizìpáng | shell; money | 财 cái, 购 gòu |
| 虫 | 虫字旁 chóngzìpáng | insect; bug | 蚊 wén, 蛇 shé |
How to teach radicals
- Start with picture radicals: 日 sun, 月 moon, 木 tree, 火 fire, 口 mouth. They still look like what they mean.
- Use the names. Chinese teachers name radicals by position, for example 三点水 "three drops of water" and 草字头 "grass on top". Saying the name helps kids spot the shape.
- Play detective. Give a character and ask kids to find the radical and guess the meaning. Our free worksheet below does exactly this.
- Remember it's a hint, not a rule. Meanings drift over time, so a radical gives a clue, not a definition.
Free sample 免费样张
1 printable page: "Radical Detective" (部首找一找) worksheet: circle the radical in 12 characters and write its name.
Download PDF – US Letter Download PDF – A4
No email or sign-up needed. Free for personal and classroom use.
Want the full set? 30 Common Chinese Radicals Poster – Radical names, pinyin, meanings and example characters, plus a worksheet.