厂

Factory Component (厂)

chǎng · 2 strokes

The factory component (厂) is a frequently seen component in Chinese characters. In Chinese, components serve different roles: semantic elements contribute meaning, phonetic elements suggest pronunciation, and structural elements provide the character's framework. It primarily serves as a structural element in character composition. It typically appears on the outer (enclosing) part of a character. 26 characters: 2 in HSK 3, 13 in HSK 4, 5 in HSK 5, 1 in HSK 6, 3 in HSK 7-9, 2 outside the HSK syllabus. Components are identified through character decomposition analysis.

Radical vs. Component: 厂 is also a Kangxi radical (cliff). As a radical, it classifies characters in dictionaries. As a component, it appears as a building block contributing meaning, sound, or structure. For radical-specific details, see the Factory Radical (厂) page.

Factory Component at a Glance

Stroke Count2
Total Characters26
Primary RoleStructural
Typical Positionouter (enclosing) part
Most Common HSK LevelHSK 4 (13 characters)
Avg. Character Strokes8
Also a Kangxi Radical?Yes — view radical page

All Factory Component Characters

HSK 3 (2 characters)

历lìto experience斤jīncatty

HSK 4 (13 characters)

广guǎngwide, broad原yuánformer厚hòuthick厌yàn(bound form) to loathe反fǎncontrary产chǎnto give birth压yāto press严yántight (closely sealed)质zhìcharacter厨chúkitchen厉lìstrict厅tīng(reception) hall厕cè(bound form) restroom

HSK 5 (5 characters)

石shístone厘líone hundredth盾dùnshield厦shà(bound form) tall building厢xiāngbox (in theater)

HSK 6 (1 characters)

岸ànbank

HSK 7-9 (3 characters)

辰chén5th earthly branch: 7-9 a.m., 3rd solar month (5th April-4th May), year of the Dragon厄èdistressed雁yànwild goose

Not in HSK (2 characters)

厥juéto faint詹zhān(literary) verbose

Frequently Asked Questions

What characters contain the factory component (厂)?
There are 24 characters containing the factory component (厂) in the HSK 3.0 character set (CLEC 2022 syllabus): 2 in HSK 3, 13 in HSK 4, 5 in HSK 5, 1 in HSK 6, 3 in HSK 7-9. Another 2 characters are outside the HSK syllabus. The most frequently used include 产 (chǎn, "to give birth"), 原 (yuán, "former"), 反 (fǎn, "contrary"), 质 (zhì, "character"), 石 (shí, "stone"). Components are identified through character decomposition analysis.
Is 厂 a radical or a component?
厂 is both. As a Kangxi radical, 厂 (cliff) is part of the traditional system of 214 radicals used to classify Chinese characters in dictionaries. As a component, 厂 is a building block that contributes meaning, sound, or structure to compound characters. When a character "has the factory radical," it means 厂 is the character's primary classifier. When a character "contains the factory component," it means 厂 appears in the character's decomposition, regardless of whether it serves as the primary radical.
Where does 厂 appear in a character?
The factory component (厂) most commonly appears on the outer (enclosing) part of a character. Full position breakdown: outer (enclosing) part (21 characters), bottom (2 characters), outer-outer (1 characters), overlay (1 characters), bottom-outer (1 characters). Knowing where a component typically sits helps with character recognition — when you see 厂 in its usual position, you can quickly identify it and infer the character's meaning or pronunciation.
What HSK levels include factory component characters?
Characters containing the factory component (厂) appear across 5 HSK levels: 2 in HSK 3, 13 in HSK 4, 5 in HSK 5, 1 in HSK 6, 3 in HSK 7-9. The largest concentration is at HSK 4 with 13 characters. Another 2 characters are outside the HSK syllabus. Earlier HSK levels introduce the most common factory-related characters, while advanced levels add specialized or literary terms.

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).