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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屮屮RS屮𡳾艹sprout, rad. 45
  • sprout 丨 shooting out of its receptacle 凵; con.: grass
凵凵RSreceptacle, rad 17
 凶 缶; 亠 箱 鉢 口
石石RSstone, rock, mineral, rad. 112 磨 岩 拓 碁
厂厂RS⺁丆厈factory, workshop, cliff rad. 27
  • lit. hanging cliff side of a mountain where a person may reside
  • working 干 place 厂: 厈
 al. 丆: 石; ⺁: 后 盾. 阝 城; 岩; 場 塚 墳
竹竹RS⺮bamboo, flute, rad. 118
  • bamboo shoots → 竹; flutes are made from bamboo
2344-2379 簡 篤
糸糸RS
纟纟		糹幺乡𢆶thread, silk, rad. 120
  • threads twisted together → 糸; weaved threads produce silk
  • con. link, bind
 潔; 続 練 継 累; 紫 素 索 繭 系 繁; 2740-2778; 緊; al. 幺: 茲 率 玄 後 幼 幻 幾; 乡: 郷; al. 𢆶
肉肉RS⺼月flesh, meat, rad. 130
  • flesh cut into pieces → 肉 ⺼
  • con.: person, body
 腐; al. ⺼(月); : 然 祭; : 斉 斎
不不RSno, not; un-; negative prefix
  • person spreading arms in objection → 不
  • lit. bird flying under the sky 一 and not coming down → 不
  • newborn bird flapping its wings, it will not fly to the sky 一, the result is negative for flying
  • the roots of a plant → 不: the roots can not be pulled out
 非 無; 杯 否
彳彳RSstep with left foot, rad. 60
  • person setting a step with the left foot → 彳
  • left halve of 行
牛牛RS⺧㐄𠂒牜cow, ox, bull, rad. 93
  • animal with horns → 牛; con. horns
 ; 件; 2443-2472; 鮮; al. 𠂒: 先 告; 㐄: 韋 舛 年 降 丑
廾廾RStwo hands, rad. 55 开 弊 奔 戒 葬 共 算 弁
毋毋RS母⺟do not, not, rad. 80
  • sign blocking the road: don't pass: → 毋
  • RS. woman with bound breasts: she's untouchable
毎
夂夂RSgo, rad. 34
  • walking person → 夂
用用RSuse, employ, apply, operate, use
  • container used for storing or employed for churning milk: → 用
 遣 使; 甫 甬 庸 備
舌舌RStongue, clapper of bell, rad. 135
  • tongue sticking out of the mouth → → 舌; lit. the tongue invades 干 the mouth 口
 活 括 辞 乱 憩 話
士士RS𡈼scholar, gentleman, soldier, samurai
  • modf. 大 big man standing on the ground 一 → 士: samurai with hands spread, barring the way
  • con. professional
  • good 一 professional man 士: 𡈼
侍; 壴 壮 仕; 1442-1477; 妊 任 廷; 壬
卜卜RS𠁡fortune telling, prophesy
  • lit. burned turtle shells were used by fortune tellers. After burning cracks 卜𠁡 appeared from which the fortune was told
 易 卓 貞 上 占 掛 赴 朴 外 下
長長RS
长长		镸𠤐𠔊𠑻𨱗𠑿 仧long, length, excel in, leader, grow, rad. 168 縦; 伸; 頭; 永; 帳 張 脹; al. 镸: 髪
彡彡RShair, rad. 59
  • floating hear → 彡
 㐱 彦 彰 彩 修 形 髪 膨; 杉 影; 参; 彫; 長; 而 毛; 𠆢 葉; 絹
斤斤RSa catty (approximately 500 or 600 g), an axe, keen, shrewd, rad. 69 (blade of an axe)
  • → 斤; beware of shrewd people with an axe keen on using it
 衡 両; 斬 新 祈 断 折 析 近 斥 質 丘 所 監
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