Chinese Character Components

shuǐ · water

A side form of 水 used in characters related to water, liquid, washing, rivers, and flow.

xīn · heart; feeling

A side form of 心 that often marks emotion, thought, mood, and mental state.

shǒu · hand; action

A side form of 手 used in characters involving hand actions, handling, pushing, pulling, or taking.

yán · speech

A simplified side form of 言 used in characters related to speaking, language, requests, and explanation.

cǎo · grass; plants

A top component often used in characters related to plants, flowers, herbs, and vegetation.

mián · roof; home

A top component associated with houses, rooms, shelter, family, or things kept under a roof.

rì · sun; day

A box-shaped sun component used in characters about days, time, brightness, and weather.

yuè · moon; month; body

A component that can point to the moon, months, or body parts depending on the character history.

kǒu · mouth

A square mouth component used in characters related to speaking, sounds, eating, and openings.

nǚ · woman; female

A component used in characters about women, family roles, names, and some historical social meanings.

zǐ · child; seed

A component associated with children, small things, learning, and family-related words.

mù · wood; tree

A tree and wood component used in characters for plants, materials, furniture, and wooden objects.

huǒ · fire

A fire component used in characters about heat, burning, cooking, light, and energy.

tǔ · earth; soil

An earth component used in characters about ground, places, buildings, and soil.

rén · person

A side form of 人 used in characters about people, identity, actions, and relationships.

chuò · walk; movement

A movement component used in characters about walking, going, passing, returning, and distance.

fù · place; mound

A side component that often points to places, hills, cities, or boundaries.

sī · silk; thread

A simplified silk component used in characters about thread, lines, weaving, connection, and color.

jīn · metal; gold

A simplified side form of 金 used in characters about metal, money, tools, bells, and hard materials.

shí · food; eating

A simplified side form of 食 used in characters about eating, meals, hunger, and feeding.

zú · foot; movement

A foot component used in characters about feet, walking, jumping, running, and body movement.

chē · vehicle

A vehicle component used in characters about cars, wheels, transport, movement, and comparison.

mù · eye; seeing

An eye component used in characters about seeing, looking, sleep, eyes, and attention.

ěr · ear; hearing

An ear component used in characters about hearing, listening, sound, and attention.

quǎn · animal; dog

A side form of 犬 used in characters for animals, animal behavior, and wildness.

dāo · knife; cutting

A side form of 刀 used in characters about cutting, dividing, rules, and sharp action.

pū · action; strike

A right-side action component used in characters about striking, changing, teaching, and active force.

chì · step; movement

A walking-step component used in characters about movement, paths, behavior, and repeated action.

yǔ · rain; weather

A top component used in characters about rain, weather, clouds, snow, and sky phenomena.

shí · stone; rock

A stone component used in characters about rocks, minerals, hardness, breaking, and grinding.

bèi · shell; money

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

yè · head; page

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

jiàn · see

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

mǐ · rice; grain

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

zhú · bamboo

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

yī · clothing

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

shì · ritual; spirit

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

chóng · insect; creature

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

niǎo · bird

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

yú · fish

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

mén · door; gate

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

guǎng · shelter; building

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

hǎn · cliff; factory

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

nè · illness

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

mǐn · dish; vessel

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

niú · cow; ox

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

hé · grain; crop

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

lì · stand; establish

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

wáng · jade; king

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

zhōu · boat

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

jīn · axe; catty

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

lì · strength; force

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

xīn · heart; mind

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

shǒu · hand

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

rén · person

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

dāo · knife

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

xuè · blood

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

gǔ · bone

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

tián · field

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

wǎng · net

A reusable Chinese character meaning clue found in common HSK characters and words.

qīng · blue-green; young

A common phonetic component in 请, 情, 清, 晴, 精, and other qing-sound characters.

yě · also

A compact phonetic component that appears in 他, 她, 地, 池, and related characters.

kě · can; may

A phonetic clue in characters such as 河, 何, 哥, and 课-related forms.

mǎ · horse

A visible sound clue in 妈, 吗, 码, 骂, and other ma-family characters.

fāng · square; direction

A common sound clue in 放, 房, 防, 访, and related fang-family characters.

liáng · good

A phonetic component in 浪, 粮, 娘, 狼, and related liang/lang-family characters.

jīng · capital

A phonetic component that helps connect 京, 惊, 景, 凉, 谅, and related jing/liang sound shifts.

zhǔ · main; master

A strong zhu sound clue in 住, 注, 柱, 驻, and related characters.

gōng · work

A compact sound clue in 功, 攻, 红, 江, 空, and related gong/hong/jiang shifts.

gǔ · ancient

A phonetic clue in 古, 故, 姑, 估, 固, 苦, and other gu/ku characters.

lìng · order; command

A sound clue in 冷, 领, 零, 铃, 龄, and other ling/leng characters.

bāo · wrap; package

A visible sound clue in 包, 饱, 抱, 跑, 泡, 炮, and related bao/pao characters.

pí · skin

A phonetic component in 皮, 被, 波, 破, 坡, and related pi/bo/po shifts.

bā · tail; cling

A beginner-friendly phonetic clue in 吧, 把, 爸, 爬, and related ba/pa characters.

sì · temple

A sound-family component in 诗, 持, 待, 特, 等, and related si/shi/chi/dai shifts.

xī · former times

A phonetic family visible in 惜, 借, 错, 措, and other xi/jie/cuo shifts.

gè · each

A phonetic component in 格, 客, 路, 洛, 络, and related ge/ke/lu/luo shifts.

jiāo · cross; exchange

A sound clue in 校, 较, 郊, 饺, 咬, and related jiao/xiao/yao characters.

tóng · same

A phonetic component in 同, 铜, 洞, 筒, 桐, and related tong-family characters.

shēng · life; born

A sound component in 生, 姓, 性, 星, 牲, and related sheng/xing-family characters.

yáng · sheep

A phonetic component in 羊, 洋, 样, 养, 氧, and related yang-family characters.

duì · exchange

A sound clue in 对, 说, 税, 脱, 悦, and related dui/shuo/tui/yue shifts.

zhě · person who

A phonetic component in 者, 都, 著, 煮, 诸, and related zhe/du/zhu shifts.

měi · every

A sound clue in 每, 海, 梅, 悔, 诲, and related mei/hai/hui characters.

piào · ticket

A phonetic component in 票, 漂, 飘, 瓢, and related piao-family characters.

zhào · omen; trillion

A sound clue in 兆, 桃, 跳, 逃, 挑, and related zhao/tao/tiao shifts.

shàng · still; esteem

A phonetic component in 尚, 常, 赏, 堂, 掌, and related shang/chang/tang shifts.

chéng · become; complete

A phonetic component in 成, 城, 诚, 盛, and related cheng/sheng-family characters.

fǔ · just now; beginning

A sound clue in 甫, 辅, 捕, 铺, 浦, and related fu/pu/bu shifts.

yáo · Yao; high

A sound clue in 尧, 烧, 绕, 晓, 饶, and related yao/shao/rao/xiao shifts.

bái · white

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

zhū · red; vermilion

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

qiàn · owe; yawn

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

wáng · lose; perish

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

qiě · and; moreover

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

dīng · nail; fourth

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

shǎo · few; little

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

wèi · not yet

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

guǒ · fruit

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

cǎi · pick; gather

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

xiào · resemble

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

cāng · storehouse

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

zhuī · short-tailed bird

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

hài · twelfth earthly branch

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

nǎi · then; be

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

tái · platform

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

sī · manage

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

guài · parted; decisive

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

fú · full vessel

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

mò · do not

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

hé · why; how

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

zhà · suddenly

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

yóu · from; cause

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

shēn · state; extend

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

yāng · center

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

féng · meet

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

fǎn · reverse

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

guī · jade tablet

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

lǐ · inside; village

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.

zhào · summon

A reusable Chinese character sound family found in common HSK characters and words.