Chinese Character Components
Chinese characters are built from recurring parts called components. HanziFeed indexes 630 components that each appear in at least 2 characters across the HSK 3.0 character set (CLEC 2022 syllabus). Components are classified by their primary role: semantic (contributing meaning), phonetic (suggesting pronunciation), or structural (providing visual framework).
Components go beyond the traditional 214 Kangxi radicals. While radicals classify characters in dictionaries, components reveal how characters are actually built — including phonetic elements that hint at pronunciation and structural pieces that give characters their shape. Browsing by component is one of the most effective ways to see patterns across the writing system.
630
Total Components
91
Semantic
405
Phonetic
134
Structural
Semantic Components (91)
Semantic components contribute meaning to the characters they appear in. For example, the water component (氵) appears in characters related to liquids, rivers, and flowing.
扌扌(180)氵氵(173)口mouth(167)木wood/tree(127)亻亻(118)艹艹(92)讠讠(73)土earth, soil(71)纟纟(69)辶辶(67)⺼⺼(62)忄忄(55)女woman(53)心heart, mind(50)钅钅(47)阝阝(47)火fire(46)贝shell, money(45)目eye(38)禾(bound form) grain plant(37)刂刂(33)石stone(31)⺮⺮(31)山mountain(30)力power(29)足foot(29)王king or monarch(29)虫insect(28)车vehicle(26)疒疒(26)页head(25)马horse(24)攵攵(24)犭犭(23)米uncooked rice(22)冫冫(20)门door, gate(19)饣饣(19)彳彳(19)穴cave(18)酉酉(17)灬灬(16)衣clothing(14)耳ear(14)衤衤(13)雨rain(13)礻礻(13)弓a bow (weapon)(13)走to walk(12)手hand(10)舟boat(10)刀knife(9)鸟bird(9)鬼disembodied spirit(9)矢arrow(8)彡彡(8)见to see(8)羽feather(8)罒罒(8)鱼fish(7)糸糸(7)歹bad(7)革animal hide(6)豕豕(5)身body(5)缶缶(4)父father(4)骨bone(4)尢尢(4)角angle(3)壴壴(3)凡ordinary(3)气gas(3)耒耒(3)敕敕(2)爪foot of a bird or animal(2)鬲鬲(2)灰ash, gray(2)瓦roof tile(2)豸豸(2)廴廴(2)片thin piece(2)攴攴(2)釆釆(2)民(bound form) the people(2)戎戎(2)⺗⺗(2)男male(2)黍黍(2)肃respectful(2)血see 血(2)
Phonetic Components (405)
Phonetic components suggest pronunciation. Characters sharing a phonetic component often have similar sounds, making them powerful cues for reading unfamiliar characters.
隹隹(21)羊sheep(18)工work(17)白white(17)方square(16)欠to owe(16)艮艮(14)者(after a verb or adjective) one who (is) ...(13)分to divide(13)干dry(12)丁male adult(12)尚still(12)肖similar(12)少few(11)令to order(11)且and(11)古ancient(11)舌tongue(11)卜(bound form) to divine(11)圭sundial(11)由to follow(10)皮leather(10)占to observe(10)各each(10)非abbr. for 非洲, Africa(10)交to hand over(10)莫do not(10)文language(10)尧尧(9)包to cover(9)巴Ba, a state during the Zhou dynasty (in present-day Chongqing and the eastern part of Sichuan)(9)合100 ml(9)佥佥(9)里lining(9)云(classical) to say(9)甬甬(9)龙Chinese dragon(9)可can, may(8)青abbr. for 青海, Qinghai Province(8)良good(8)旦(literary) dawn(8)昔former times(8)共common(8)京capital city of a country(8)半half(8)中(bound form) China(8)咅咅(8)林forest, woods(8)区area(8)戋戋(7)台Taiwan (abbr.)(7)不no(7)反contrary(7)亡to die(7)寺Buddhist temple(7)己self(7)亥亥(7)牙tooth(7)夋夋(7)俞surname Yu(7)韦surname Wei(7)仓barn(7)比Belgium(7)旁one side(7)每each(6)也also(6)曷曷(6)乍乍(6)屯to station (soldiers)(6)支to support(6)才ability(6)奇strange(6)乔tall(6)直Zhi (c. 2000 BC), fifth of the legendary Flame Emperors 炎帝 descended from Shennong 神農|神农 Farmer God(6)加Canada (abbr. for 加拿大[Jia1 na2 da4])(6)主owner(6)生to be born(6)次next in sequence(6)兑to cash(6)正straight(6)果fruit, result(6)勺spoon(6)勿do not(6)从from(6)谷grain(6)至to arrive(6)申old name for Shanghai 上海[Shang4 hai3](6)畐畐(6)九nine(6)予(archaic) I(6)余(literary) I(6)尤outstanding(6)乙second of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干(6)辟to open (a door)(6)喿喿(6)昜昜(5)去to go(5)臽臽(5)卓outstanding(5)娄娄(5)弟younger brother(5)未not yet(5)今now(5)乃to be(5)兼double(5)只classifier for birds and certain animals, one of a pair, some utensils, vessels etc(5)平flat(5)周week, around(5)军(bound form) army(5)其his(5)夫husband(5)及and(5)卒soldier(5)寿long life(5)扁flat(5)我I(5)并and(5)登to scale (a height)(5)兆(bound form) omen(5)易easy(5)巨very large(5)宗school(5)元Yuan dynasty (1279–1368)(5)化to make into(5)监to supervise(5)辰5th earthly branch: 7-9 a.m., 3rd solar month (5th April-4th May), year of the Dragon(5)此this(5)夭夭(5)多many(5)甫(classical) barely(5)尃尃(5)争to strive for(5)川abbr. for Sichuan Province 四川 in southwest China(5)亢亢(5)高high(5)耑耑(5)因cause(4)执to execute (a plan)(4)列to arrange(4)公public(4)乞to beg(4)相mutual, appearance(4)曼handsome(4)奂奂(4)是is, yes(4)召to call together(4)井Jing, one of the 28 constellations of Chinese astronomy(4)吾吾(4)炎flame(4)免to excuse sb(4)西the West(4)斩to chop(4)长long(4)失to lose(4)冈ridge(4)真really(4)呙呙(4)夆夆(4)勾to attract(4)秀(bound form) refined(4)曾once(4)出to go out(4)宛宛(4)麻hemp, numb(4)卑low(4)介to introduce(4)卯卯(4)末tip(4)屈bent(4)付to pay(4)叟叟(4)风wind(4)垂to hang (down)(4)害to do harm to(4)焦anxious, burnt(4)采to pick(4)卬卬(4)禺禺(4)告tell, inform(4)下down(4)央center(4)匋匋(4)敝敝(4)朋friend(4)仑to arrange(4)光light(4)单bill(4)句sentence(4)丂丂(4)聿聿(4)朿朿(4)折to break(4)丑clown(4)员member, staff(4)既already(4)丬丬(4)母mother(4)切to cut(4)亚Asia(4)朱vermilion(4)曹Zhou Dynasty vassal state(4)孚孚(4)瓜melon(4)甚excessive(4)襄surname Xiang(4)胡non-Han people, esp. from central Asia(3)㐬㐬(3)先beforehand(3)同like(3)前front(3)某certain, some(3)丩丩(3)咸all(3)壬壬(3)叚叚(3)更to change or replace(3)义(Tw) Italy (abbr. for 義大利|义大利)(3)成to succeed(3)爰爰(3)知to know(3)庄village, manor(3)保to protect, to guarantee(3)兹(literary) this(3)专for a particular person, occasion, purpose(3)枼枼(3)录to carve wood(3)玄black(3)柬abbr. for 柬埔寨, Cambodia(3)冬winter(3)内inside(3)君monarch(3)官official(3)司to take charge of(3)叔uncle(3)廷palace courtyard(3)夸to boast(3)危danger(3)舀舀(3)束to bind(3)逢to meet by chance(3)甲first of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干[shi2 tian1 gan1](3)詹詹(3)苗Hmong or Miao ethnic group of southwest China(3)昌(bound form) prosperous(3)永forever(3)居to reside(3)齐(name of states and dynasties at several different periods)(3)番time, foreign(3)则(literary) (conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but(3)吕pitchpipe, pitch standard, one of the twelve semitones in the traditional tone system(3)崔崔(3)敖敖(3)象elephant(3)秋autumn(3)䍃䍃(3)童child(3)兰abbr. for Lanzhou 蘭州|兰州, Gansu(3)刍刍(3)卂卂(3)罗gauze(3)星star(3)若to seem(3)具tool(3)弗(literary) not(3)劳(bound form) to toil(3)氐氐(3)豆legume(3)委committee, to entrust(3)敫敫(3)龹龹(3)匀even(3)东east(3)尉尉(3)啇啇(3)参to take part in(3)荅荅(3)匡匡(3)夌夌(3)丈measure of length, ten Chinese feet (3.3 m)(3)留to stay, to keep(3)全all(3)难difficult (to...)(3)奚surname Xi(2)昷昷(2)尼Buddhist nun(2)原former(2)吴area comprising southern Jiangsu, northern Zhejiang and Shanghai(2)旨imperial decree(2)安safe, peace(2)並並(2)竟unexpectedly(2)连to connect, even(2)或maybe(2)吉abbr. for Jilin 吉林省(2)氏(bound form) family name(2)色color(2)代to be a substitute for(2)宓宓(2)翏翏(2)串to string together(2)坐to sit(2)隶(bound form) a person in servitude(2)丙third of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干(2)⺍⺍(2)属category(2)冘冘(2)它it(2)早early, morning(2)咠咠(2)市market(2)那(specifier) that(2)票ticket(2)布to announce(2)本(bound form) root(2)求to seek(2)邦(bound form) country(2)孝filial piety or obedience(2)斥to blame(2)泉spring (small stream)(2)以to use(2)奏to play music(2)堇堇(2)刃刃(2)太highest(2)巩(bound form) to fix in place(2)荒desolate(2)空empty, sky(2)屋(bound form) house(2)龺龺(2)矛spear(2)当(onom.) dong(2)昆descendant(2)朝abbr. for 朝鮮|朝鲜[Chao2 xian3] Korea(2)呈to present to a superior(2)尊senior(2)章chapter(2)孛comet(2)与and(2)凶terrible(2)彭surname Peng(2)景scenery(2)建to establish(2)奴slave(2)敬(bound form) respectful(2)唐Tang dynasty (618–907)(2)攸攸(2)必certainly(2)卷to roll up(2)朔朔(2)奉to offer (tribute)(2)畀畀(2)之(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的)(2)侯surname Hou(2)利sharp(2)离to leave(2)贲贲(2)聂surname Nie(2)臼臼(2)亏to lose (money)(2)厷厷(2)㐱㐱(2)矣classical final particle, similar to modern 了(2)巿巿(2)感to feel, to sense(2)剌perverse(2)明bright, tomorrow(2)右(bound form) right(2)署office(2)忝忝(2)皆all(2)戒to guard against(2)翟翟(2)于(of time or place) in(2)益benefit(2)宾visitor(2)亶亶(2)州prefecture(2)差difference(2)汤soup(2)帝emperor(2)定to decide, fixed(2)陏陏(2)復復(2)雚雚(2)旱drought(2)亨亨(2)皇emperor(2)家home, family(2)匊匊(2)尹尹(2)览to look at(2)尞尞(2)面face(2)宁abbr. for Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 寧夏回族自治區|宁夏回族自治区(2)桼桼(2)师teacher(2)黾黾(2)如as, if(2)欶欶(2)世life(2)息breath(2)解to divide(2)宣to declare (publicly)(2)厓厓(2)奄奄(2)
Structural Components (134)
Structural components provide the visual framework of a character without directly contributing meaning or sound. They are essential for understanding how characters are composed.
一one(62)日sun, day(61)宀宀(50)广wide, broad(29)又(once) again(29)十ten(27)大big(26)人person(25)丿丿(25)厂"cliff" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 27), occurring in 原, 历, 压 etc(22)亠亠(22)丶丶(22)田field(21)丷丷(20)巾towel(20)八eight(19)尸(literary) person representing the deceased (during burial ceremonies)(19)寸a unit of length(18)几small table(16)子son(16)立to stand(16)二two(16)冂冂(15)丨丨(15)囗囗(15)户a household(14)月moon, month(14)斤catty(14)厶厶(14)乂乂(14)皿皿(14)彐彐(12)戈dagger-axe(12)乚乚(12)牛ox(11)殳殳(11)止to stop(11)匕匕(11)儿child(10)夂夂(10)勹勹(10)小small(9)⺈⺈(9)冖冖(8)廾廾(8)辛(of taste) hot or pungent(8)夕(bound form) sunset(7)犬(literary) dog(7)亦also(7)巳巳(7)甘abbr. for Gansu Province 甘肅省|甘肃省(6)自(bound form) self(6)夬夬(6)士member of the senior ministerial class (old)(6)示to show(6)斗abbr. for the Big Dipper constellation 北斗星(6)毛hair(6)兄elder brother(6)凵凵(6)千thousand(6)爫爫(6)虍虍(6)音sound(5)言words(5)疋疋(5)龶龶(5)⺊⺊(5)天day(5)卩卩(5)水water(5)夹to press from either side(5)㔾㔾(5)匚匚(5)开to open (transitive or intransitive)(4)匸匸(4)取to take(4)七seven(4)覀覀(4)玉jade(4)耂耂(4)亅亅(4)⺀⺀(4)行(bound form) row(4)尺a Chinese foot(4)氺氺(4)丘mound(4)享to enjoy(4)暴violent, storm(3)尔thus(3)上(bound form) up(3)帛silk(3)贵abbr. for Guizhou Province 貴州|贵州[Gui4 zhou1](3)发to send out(3)了(completed action marker)(3)乏short of(3)关mountain pass(3)办to take care of (a matter)(3)而and(3)⺌⺌(3)曰to speak(3)乛乛(3)廿廿(3)卖to sell(3)戊戊(3)用to use(3)黑black(3)乇乇(3)北north(3)业line of business(3)幺幺(3)丰luxuriant(3)有to have(3)头head(2)帀帀(2)两two(2)任task, to appoint(2)另other, another(2)镸镸(2)兴to rise(2)三three(2)弋弋(2)责responsibility(2)冗extraneous(2)急urgent(2)步a step(2)屮屮(2)兀surname Wu(2)亘亘(2)万ten thousand(2)酋酋(2)育to educate, to raise(2)巛巛(2)叒叒(2)兔rabbit(2)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Chinese character component?
A component is any recurring part that appears inside multiple Chinese characters. Components are the building blocks of the writing system — most characters are composed of two or more components combined in specific positions (left-right, top-bottom, enclosing, etc.). HanziFeed indexes 630 components that each appear in at least 2 characters across the HSK 3.0 character set (CLEC 2022 syllabus). Understanding components makes it possible to decode unfamiliar characters by recognizing their parts.
What is the difference between a radical and a component?
Radicals are a specific subset of components. The 214 Kangxi radicals are the traditional set used to classify and look up characters in dictionaries — every character is assigned exactly one radical. Components are the broader set of all recurring parts in characters, including radicals, phonetic elements, and structural pieces. A character like 请 contains the radical 讠 (speech) and the phonetic component 青 (qīng). Both are components, but only 讠 is the radical. On HanziFeed, you can browse characters by either system: radicals for dictionary-style classification, or components for structural decomposition.
What are semantic, phonetic, and structural components?
Chinese character components serve three distinct roles. Semantic components contribute meaning — for example, 氵 (water) appears in characters related to liquids and flowing (河 river, 洗 wash, 海 sea). Phonetic components suggest pronunciation — for example, 青 (qīng) gives a similar sound to 请 (qǐng), 清 (qīng), and 情 (qíng). Structural components provide the visual framework without directly contributing meaning or sound. Of the 630 components indexed on HanziFeed, 91 are primarily semantic, 405 are primarily phonetic, and 134 are primarily structural. Components are classified based on their most common role across all characters they appear in.
How many components are there in Chinese characters?
HanziFeed indexes 630 components that each appear in at least 2 characters within the HSK 3.0 character set (CLEC 2022 syllabus). This includes 91 semantic components, 405 phonetic components, and 134 structural components. The most productive components appear in dozens or even hundreds of characters. Note that the total number of possible components depends on how characters are decomposed — HanziFeed uses structural decomposition analysis to identify the meaningful parts within each character.
How do components help with learning Chinese characters?
Components are the most powerful tool for systematic character learning. Instead of memorizing each character as a unique shape, learners who understand components can: (1) break unfamiliar characters into recognizable parts, (2) guess pronunciation from phonetic components (correct roughly 40% of the time), (3) infer meaning categories from semantic components, and (4) distinguish similar-looking characters by identifying which components differ. For example, knowing that 氵 means water instantly connects 河 (river), 湖 (lake), 洋 (ocean), 泪 (tears), and dozens more. This structural approach is especially effective from HSK 3 onward, where characters become more compositionally complex.
Sources & Standards
Components are identified through structural decomposition analysis of characters in the HSK 3.0 Standard (《国际中文教育中文水平等级标准》), published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 2022 revision. Radical classifications follow the Kangxi radical system (康熙部首).