Every Chinese character has a hidden clue inside it. That clue is called a radical (部首 bù shǒu).
Radicals are like tiny picture-hints. Once you spot them, you can often guess what a character is about — even a brand-new one! Let's become radical detectives. 🔍
Look: the three little dots 氵 mean water 💧. So many characters with this clue are about water!
Big characters are built from smaller pieces, like LEGO bricks. Usually one piece is the radical — the meaning clue.
河 (hé) = river 🌊 The 氵 water clue is on the left!
Tap the parts of 河 below to find the radical (the meaning clue).
Characters that share a radical often share a topic. The 水/氵 water family all splash around water! Tap each card to reveal its meaning.
See? Sea, tears and ice are ALL about water. The radical told you the topic! 💡
Here are four helpful radicals. Drag each radical into the box next to what it means.
The radical isn't always on the left. It can hide on different sides. Tap each spot to see!
Radicals can sit on the left, top, or bottom of a character.
Left 氵 water · Top 艹 grass/plants · Bottom 心 heart
New character: 树 (shù). Its left radical is 木.
What is 树 most likely about? Pick your guess:
🎉 Correct! 树 means tree. You guessed it from the 木 wood radical — without being told! That's the superpower of radicals.
Here's 灯 (dēng). Tap the radical on the LEFT to see the clue.
火 means fire! 🔥 So 灯 is about fire or light... it means lamp / light 💡. A lamp gives light like a little fire!
Guessing wisely with a clue beats guessing blindly. That's reading by radicals!
Look how much you learned today:
Keep practising: next time you meet a new character, ask "What's the radical? What does it hint?"
Great work today! 干得好！ 🌟