4. Radicals
Radicals ( 部首 bou6⠤ sau2⠜) are used to categorize words in Chinese dictionaries. Each Chinese character belongs to one radical. The radical of a character usually appears as part of the character. The radical of each word below is highlighted in blue.
to hit
to kick
to sing
Radicals can tell us part of the meaning of a word. For example, the radicals may tell us which part of the body is involved in an action.
to hit
to kick
to sing
action involving hands
action involving legs
action involving mouth
However, note that the meaning of the radical in many words is obscure nowadays.
It would be useful to recognize some common radicals because they will appear across different characters frequently. You will be introduced to some common radicals in later units.