首

Head Component (首)

shǒu · 9 strokes

The head component (首) is a less common 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 phonetic element, contributing pronunciation patterns to the characters where it appears. Characters containing 首 often share the pronunciation dao: 道. It typically appears on the inner (enclosed) part of a character. 1 characters: 1 in HSK 1. Components are identified through character decomposition analysis.

Radical vs. Component: 首 is also a Kangxi radical (head). 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 Head Radical (首) page.

Head Component at a Glance

Stroke Count9
Total Characters1
Primary RolePhonetic (pronunciation)
Typical Positioninner (enclosed) part
Most Common HSK LevelHSK 1 (1 characters)
Avg. Character Strokes12
Also a Kangxi Radical?Yes — view radical page

All Head Component Characters

HSK 1 (1 characters)

道dàoroad, way

Frequently Asked Questions

What characters contain the head component (首)?
There are 1 characters containing the head component (首) in the HSK 3.0 character set (CLEC 2022 syllabus): 1 in HSK 1. The most frequently used include 道 (dào, "road, way"). Components are identified through character decomposition analysis.
Is 首 a radical or a component?
首 is both. As a Kangxi radical, 首 (head) is part of the traditional system of 214 radicals used to classify Chinese characters in dictionaries. As a component, 首 is a building block that contributes meaning, sound, or structure to compound characters. When a character "has the head radical," it means 首 is the character's primary classifier. When a character "contains the head component," it means 首 appears in the character's decomposition, regardless of whether it serves as the primary radical.
Where does 首 appear in a character?
The head component (首) most commonly appears on the inner (enclosed) part of a character. Full position breakdown: inner (enclosed) part (1 characters). Knowing where a component typically sits helps with character recognition — when you see 首 in its usual position, you can quickly identify it and infer the character's meaning or pronunciation.

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).