allograph (different shape but same meaning)
connotation as a character part
abbreviated, abbreviation
contracted, contraction
extended meaning
government
kanji, ideograph, character
literal translation from the Shuowen Jiezi
modified, modification
CLOSE
mijn hanzi, modification
opposite meaning or situation
when used as a character part
explanation according to Richard Sears (http://hanziyuan.net/)
one of the 214 radicals in the traditional character classification system
situation chosen for evoking this meaning
suffix for counting units of objects, etc.
Unclassified by Joseph De Roo.

Characters

Primitives


Primitives are character components which can be used to decompose a character and fabricate a story around it to remember it. Most of the time components where joined because of their pronunciation to certain signific parts. This means that originally a character had a signific part, giving meaning to it, and a phonetic part, giving a phonetic clue to the character. In case we use the original meaning we always put the marker RS. in front which means that the meaning comes from the excellent site from Richard Sears about Chinese Etymology. More information can be found here.

Knowing these primitives well will aid in remembering them. Primitives are always colored light green on this site.

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田田RSfield, arable land, cultivated
  • cultivated field is an enclosure 囗 divided in several 十 pieces; con.: field, body
 畑 土 原 野; 科; 畐 畝 畜 単 巣 苗 番 留 細 更 雷; 3640-3677
囗囗RSenclosure, erect, proud, upright, bald, rad. 31
  • somebody having a big house with enclosure is proud and stands upright; by this time in his life he usually is bald
  • con.: city (enclosed place where people live)
 郭 境; 図 圏 囚 団 因 園 固 困 囲 菌 国 回
目目RS⺲罒eye, look, see, division, topic, rad. 109
  • → ⺲ → 目; topic is something that catches the eye
 眼; 第; 盲 鼻 着 省 県 督 真 直 相 看 算 盾 冒; 3955-3972; 瞼: 倹
子子RS㜽offspring, child, fruit, seed of, 1st terrestrial branch童 肖 児 孝 稚 幼 嬰; 𠫓; 浮 遊 字 学 存 好 季 猛 厚 孫 孔 孤
井井RS丼well, mine shaft, pit
  • orig. bowl with food: → → 丼; abbr. 井: source of food
 冓 寒 塞 耕 囲
文文RSliterature, culture, writing, sentence
  • crossing pattern on earthenware → 文: a sign of culture; hallmarks of culture are writing and literature
 書; 字 状; 対 斉 蚊 紋
几几RSsmall table, rad. 16
  • con.: upturned container, hive
 机 処 飢 冗 亢 殳 凡 風
弋弋RScatch, arrest, shoot with bow, arrow, dividers, rad. 56
  • arrow on a bowstring → 弋: being arrested at arrowpoint; con.: defensive weapon, divider (a cutting weapon can divide something)
式 代 弐 武 ; al. : 氏 矛
青青RS𤯞靑blue, green, black, young 若; 紺; 緑
九九RSnine
  • image of a hand bumping against something : nine bumps against ten when counting
 卆 染 究 軌 旭 雑 尻
厶厶RSムprivate, individual, secret, rad. 28
  • enclosed self → 厶: individual; invisible from outside: secret
 繭 絹 蚕; 尸 自 個 我 私 吾 己; (𠫓) 夋 (離) 広 (鬼) 払 去 雄 公 仏 私 弁 参 台 云 強; al. : 以
寸寸RSinch, small, tiny, measurement (3.03 cm) rad. 41
  • thing 丶 which is smaller than (beneath) the hand 𠂇: → 寸
  • con. hand holding something, take
封 村 射 奪 尋, 甫 求; 法
工工RS𢒄labor, work, worker, laborer
  • orig. carved pattern into something 𢒄 → 工: a sign that work has been done
  • looks like an I-beam that is used in construction work
 働; 計; 巩 江 空 差 式 左 虹 紅 功 巧 貢 項 攻 尋 肛; al. 匚: 巨 匠
身身RS⾝𠃫𡰬𢈯𨊘㐆 body, trunk, hull, rad. 158
  • standing bear with a fat body → 身
 尸 ⺼ 体; 窮 射
𠆢𠆢RS人roof, house
个
禾禾RS⽲grain still on stalk, rice plant, tree with 2 branches rad. 115
  • rice stalk → 禾; tree 木 with a second branch 一
 白 米; 菌; 2241-2278
艸艸RS屮𡳾艹䒑grass, plants, rad. 140
  • shooting grass
  • con.: vegetables
宀宀RSroof, rad. 40 咅 冋 家; characters 740-778
蟲蟲RS
虫虫		insects, worms, rad. 142
  • snake → → 虫
  • cocooned 厶 insect creeping out of a hole 口
  • mosquito planting it's stinger 中 in your skin _,
蛇, 蛙, 濁 蛮 蚊 虹 繭 触 独 融 蚕 騒 強 風
犬犬RS尤犭尣dog, rad. 94
  • → : → → 犭 or → 犬尤
  • man 大 saying a reasonable thing `
  • 尤: a hand 尢 with a wart 丶 on it. → 尤: warts are annoying to get on the body, especially on your hand
就 稽; 戻 戌; 獣 状 献 伏 然 獄 黙
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