几

Small table Component (几)

jī · 2 strokes

The small table component (几) is a component found 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 right side of a character. 16 characters: 2 in HSK 1, 2 in HSK 3, 1 in HSK 4, 2 in HSK 5, 2 in HSK 6, 7 in HSK 7-9. Components are identified through character decomposition analysis.

Radical vs. Component: 几 is also a Kangxi radical (table). 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 Small table Radical (几) page.

Small table Component at a Glance

Stroke Count2
Total Characters16
Primary RoleStructural
Typical Positionright side
Most Common HSK LevelHSK 7-9 (7 characters)
Avg. Character Strokes7
Also a Kangxi Radical?Yes — view radical page

All Small table Component Characters

HSK 1 (2 characters)

机jīmachine, opportunity真zhēnreally

HSK 3 (2 characters)

朵duǒflower风fēngwind

HSK 4 (1 characters)

虎hǔtiger

HSK 5 (2 characters)

肌jīmuscle凭píngto lean against

HSK 6 (2 characters)

凡fánordinary饥jī(bound form) hungry

HSK 7-9 (7 characters)

凳dèngbench凤fèngphoenix凰huángused in 鳳凰|凤凰讥jīto ridicule凯kǎi(bound form) triumphal music冗rǒngextraneous秃tūbald (lacking hair or feathers)

Frequently Asked Questions

What characters contain the small table component (几)?
There are 16 characters containing the small table component (几) in the HSK 3.0 character set (CLEC 2022 syllabus): 2 in HSK 1, 2 in HSK 3, 1 in HSK 4, 2 in HSK 5, 2 in HSK 6, 7 in HSK 7-9. The most frequently used include 机 (jī, "machine, opportunity"), 真 (zhēn, "really"), 风 (fēng, "wind"), 凡 (fán, "ordinary"), 虎 (hǔ, "tiger"). Components are identified through character decomposition analysis.
Is 几 a radical or a component?
几 is both. As a Kangxi radical, 几 (table) is part of the traditional system of 214 radicals used to classify Chinese characters in dictionaries. As a component, 几 is a building block that contributes meaning, sound, or structure to compound characters. When a character "has the small table radical," it means 几 is the character's primary classifier. When a character "contains the small table component," it means 几 appears in the character's decomposition, regardless of whether it serves as the primary radical.
What sound does the small table component (几) give to characters?
When 几 serves as a phonetic element (in 3 of its 16 characters), it commonly contributes these pronunciation patterns: ji (肌, 讥, 饥). Phonetic components are one of the most powerful tools for reading unfamiliar characters — if you recognize 几 in a new character, there is a good chance the pronunciation is related. Note that tones and initial consonants may vary across characters sharing the same phonetic component.
Where does 几 appear in a character?
The small table component (几) most commonly appears on the right side of a character. Full position breakdown: right side (5 characters), bottom (5 characters), outer (enclosing) part (4 characters), top (1 characters), inner (enclosed) part (1 characters). Knowing where a component typically sits helps with character recognition — when you see 几 in its usual position, you can quickly identify it and infer the character's meaning or pronunciation.
What HSK levels include small table component characters?
Characters containing the small table component (几) appear across 6 HSK levels: 2 in HSK 1, 2 in HSK 3, 1 in HSK 4, 2 in HSK 5, 2 in HSK 6, 7 in HSK 7-9. The largest concentration is at HSK 7-9 with 7 characters. Earlier HSK levels introduce the most common small table-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).