Recap Part III:

Upper Radicals

In the previous blog post, you've learned several common upper radicals. To recap, they are:

• 艹 - grass

• 𥫗 - bamboo

• 宀 - roof

• 雨 - rain

• 爫 - claw

Do note that there are other upper radicals, here are only five of them.

The Bottom Radicals

In this article, let's take a look at the common radicals that fall on the bottom part of a character.

"辶" - 走之底(zǒu zhī dǐ, movement)

This radical is called "走之底" because "走" means walking. Its writing is made up of 3 strokes which include "dot", "horizontal line with two turns" and "flat right-falling" strokes. Characters with this radical usually got to do with walking, location, or physical movement. Some examples include "进(jìn, come in; forward)", "这(zhè, this; here)", "边(biān, side; edge)" and "逃(táo, escape)".

Let's use this radical to check the meanings and Pinyin for the following characters in the dictionary:

• 避

• 逼

• 达

• 通

• 逆

"灬" - 四点底(sì diǎn dǐ, heat)

This radical is made of 4 dots, that is why it's called "四点底". The first dot is written towards the left while the latter 3 dots are written towards the right. Characters with this radical usually got to do with burn or heat, but there are exceptions as well. Some examples include "点(diǎn, ignite; dot; point)", "煮(zhǔ, boil)", "煎(jiān, fry)" and "黑(hēi, black)".

Let's use this radical to check the meanings and Pinyin for the following characters in the dictionary:

• 然

• 烈

• 烹

• 蒸

• 熏

"皿" - 皿字底(mǐn zì dǐ, utensils)

This bottom radical is derived from the Chinese character "皿", which is often used in combination with another Chinese character to form the word "器皿(qì mǐn)". It is the general term for household utensils such as bowls, plates, cups, and saucers. Hence, many characters with this radical often refer to items that are used as containers. Some examples include "盆(pén, basin)", "盒(hé, box)", "盘(pán, plate)" and "盅(zhōng, small handleless cup)".

Let's use this radical to check the meanings and Pinyin for the following characters in the dictionary:

• 益

• 监

• 盗

• 盈

• 盏

"心" - 心字底(xīn zì dǐ, heart)

This bottom radical is derived from the character "心" which means the heart or the mind. Hence, Chinese characters with this radical usually got to do with the activities of the heart or the mind. Some examples include "悲(bēi, sad)", "志(zhì, will)", "忘(wàng, forget)", "恩(ēn, grateful)", and "愚(yú, silly)".

Let's use this radical to check the meanings and Pinyin for the following characters in the dictionary:

• 思

• 想

• 恶

• 慧

• 态

In this post, we've learned some bottom radicals and new characters. If you want to know the possible word collocations for the characters mentioned above, check it with your teacher at Hanhai Language Studio. There are other upper radicals not covered here. If you want to learn more about radicals and characters, sign up for our Chinese classes to get an in-depth understanding of Chinese characters and their radicals.

This is the last part of the "Learn Chinese Radicals" series. If you want to read the posts that belong to this series, click the links below:

Learn Chinese Radicals Part I: Left-Side Radicals

Learn Chinese Radicals Part II: Right-Side Radicals

Learn Chinese Radicals Part III: Upper Radicals

Stay tuned to our blog and sign up for our classes to learn more about Chinese culture, characters, writing, and vocabulary!