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【Part 1】 № 1 - 21 Chinese Radicals 汉字部首: 手, 爪, 足, 走 ……

⬅️汉字部首 - № 1 - 21

Chinese Radicals are used to index and categorize characters. A radical is usually the main component of a character. In this video, I am going to introduce 21 of them. They are related to hand or foot. We will also learn some HSK words that have characters containing these radicals.

汉字部首 第一部分 №1 - №21

Chinese Radicals:
扌, 手, 爪, 爫, 又, 廾, 寸, 殳, 攴, 攵, 止, 夂, 足, 疋, 癶, 走, 行, 彳, 廴, 辶, 卩

[ Please click on the thumbnail image to enlarge.]
/shǒu/ 提手旁 tíshǒupáng The radical 扌 is originated from the character 手. The original script of 手 resembles a palm with fingers apart. 手 is a pictograph character. Its original script resembles a palm with fingers apart. The oracle bone script of 又 resembles a right hand. Its "right hand" meaning is now represented by the character 右. The oracle bone script of 攴 resembles a hand holding a tool. 攴 means "rap or tap lightly". The oracle bone script of 殳 resembles a hand holding a round head weapon. The radical 殳 represents an ancient weapon. The oracle bone script of 爪 depicts a hand grabbing something. The radical 爫 is originated from the character 爪. This radical is always placed on the top of a character. In traditional Chinese medical practice, a person's pulse on the wrist is called 寸口(cùnkǒu), or 寸 for short. The oracle bone script of 廾 resembles two hands holding something. 攵 is the same as 攴. Its oracle bone script resembles a hand holding a tool, meaning "rap or tap lightly". The oracle bone script of 夂 depicts a foot, which was 止 written upside down to express the opposite movement of 止 (/zhǐ/ foot). Note: 夂 and 夊(/suī/ go slowly) were unified as 夂. The oracle bone script of 止 depicts a foot with toes. In oracle bone script, the upper part of the character 足 is like "kneecap", and the lower part is a foot (止 zhǐ). The oracle bone script of 彳 is like a half-side of an intersection. The oracle bone script of 疋 resembles a foot. It is the same as 足. The original script of 癶 resembles two feet (止 /zhǐ/ foot) pointing outwards. The oracle bone script of 行 resembles an intersection. The oracle bone script of the character 走 depicts a person running with his arms swinging. 辶 is originated from the character 辵 (chuò). The oracle bone script of 辶 depicts a foot (止) in the middle of intersection. The original script of 廴 is like a modified and stretched 彳 (chì), meaning "long stride". The oracle bone script of 卩 resembles a kneeling man. When used at the bottom of a character, it usually transforms to 㔾.

  1. 【扌】 ✏️ hand 📢 /shǒu/ 提手旁 tíshǒupáng
    The radical 扌 is originated from the character 手. The original script of 手 resembles a palm with fingers apart.
  2. 【手】 ✏️ hand 📢 /shǒu/ 手字旁 shǒuzìpáng
    手 is a pictograph character. Its original script resembles a palm with fingers apart. When used as a left-side radical, 手 is written as 扌(提手旁 tíshǒupáng).
  3. 【爪】 ✏️ claw | hand 📢 /zhǎo/ 爪字旁 zhǎozìpáng
    The oracle bone script of 爪 depicts a hand grabbing something.
  4. 【爫】 ✏️ claw | hand 📢 /zhǎo/ 爪字头 zhǎozìtóu
    The radical 爫 is originated from the character 爪. This radical is always placed on the top of a character.
  5. 【又】 ✏️ hand | right hand 📢 /yòu/ 又字旁 yòuzìpáng
    The oracle bone script of 又 resembles a right hand. Its "right hand" meaning is now represented by the character 右.
  6. 【廾】 ✏️ two hands | arch 📢 /gǒng/ 弄字底 nòngzìdǐ
    The oracle bone script of 廾 resembles two hands holding something.
  7. 【寸】 ✏️ hand | inch 📢 /cùn/ 寸字旁 cùnzìpáng
    In traditional Chinese medical practice, a person's pulse on the wrist is called 寸口(cùnkǒu), or 寸 for short.
  8. 【殳】 ✏️ throwing or striking action | weapon 📢 /shū/ 殳字旁 shūzìpáng
    The oracle bone script of 殳 resembles a hand holding a round head weapon. The radical 殳 represents an ancient weapon.
  9. 【攴】 ✏️ rap or tap lightly 📢 /pū/ 攴字旁 pūzìpáng
    The oracle bone script of 攴 resembles a hand holding a tool. 攴 means "rap or tap lightly".
  10. 【攵】 ✏️ rap or tap lightly 📢 /pū/ 反文旁 fǎnwénpáng
    攵 is the same as 攴. Its oracle bone script resembles a hand holding a tool, meaning "rap or tap lightly".
  11. 【止】 ✏️ foot | stop 📢 /zhǐ/ 止字旁 zhǐzìpáng
    The oracle bone script of 止 depicts a foot with toes.
  12. 【夂】 ✏️ foot | go 📢 /zhǐ/ 折文儿 zhéwénr
    The oracle bone script of 夂 depicts a foot, which was 止 written upside down to express the opposite movement of 止 (/zhǐ/ foot). Note: 夂 and 夊(/suī/ go slowly) were unified as 夂.
    Let's take a look at the differences between the radical 攵 and 夂.
    First, they have different meanings. 攵 represents the movement of the hand, and 夂 represents the movement of the foot.
    Second, their strokes are slightly different which people often overlook.
  13. 【足】 ✏️ foot 📢 /zú/ 足字旁 zúzìpáng
    In oracle bone script, the upper part of the character 足 is like "kneecap", and the lower part is a foot (止 zhǐ).
  14. 【疋】 ✏️ foot 📢 /shū/ 疋字旁 shūzìpáng
    The oracle bone script of 疋 resembles a foot. It is the same as 足.
  15. 【癶】 ✏️ walking with feet pointing outwards | footsteps 📢 /bō/ 登字头 dēngzìtóu
    The original script of 癶 resembles two feet (止 /zhǐ/ foot) pointing outwards.
  16. 【走】 ✏️ walk | run 📢 /zǒu/ 走字底 zǒuzìdǐ
    The oracle bone script of the character 走 depicts a person running with his arms swinging.
  17. 【行】 ✏️ road | go 📢 /xíng/ 行字旁 xíngzìpáng
    The oracle bone script of 行 resembles an intersection.
  18. 【彳】 ✏️ road | step | walk slowly 📢 /chì/ 双立人 | 双人旁 shuānglìrén | shuāngrénpáng
    The oracle bone script of 彳 is like a half-side of an intersection.
  19. 【廴】 ✏️ long stride 📢 /yǐn/ 建字底 jiànzìdǐ
    The original script of 廴 is like a modified and stretched 彳 (chì), meaning "long stride".
  20. 【辶】 ✏️ walk 📢 /chuò/ 走之旁 zǒuzhīpáng
    辶 is originated from the character 辵 (chuò). The oracle bone script of 辶 depicts a foot (止) in the middle of intersection.
  21. 【卩】 ✏️ kneel | leg 📢 /jié/ 单耳旁 | 卷字底 dān'ěrpáng | juǎnzìdǐ
    The oracle bone script of 卩 resembles a kneeling man. When used at the bottom of a character, it usually transforms to 㔾.

Radicals can help you classify and memorize many characters and words. From these 21 radicals we can learn 395 HSK characters, and from these characters we can learn 2641 HSK words! Is that amazing?

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