十

Ten Component (十)

shí · 2 strokes

The ten component (十) 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 bottom of a character. 27 characters: 5 in HSK 1, 3 in HSK 3, 11 in HSK 4, 6 in HSK 5, 2 in HSK 7-9. Components are identified through character decomposition analysis.

Radical vs. Component: 十 is also a Kangxi radical (ten). 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 Ten Radical (十) page.

Ten Component at a Glance

Stroke Count2
Total Characters27
Primary RoleStructural
Typical Positionbottom
Most Common HSK LevelHSK 4 (11 characters)
Avg. Character Strokes6
Also a Kangxi Radical?Yes — view radical page

All Ten Component Characters

HSK 1 (5 characters)

什shénwhat早zǎoearly, morning车chēvehicle千qiānthousand卖màito sell

HSK 3 (3 characters)

南nánsouth干gāndry直zhíZhi (c. 2000 BC), fifth of the legendary Flame Emperors 炎帝 descended from Shennong 神農|神农 Farmer God

HSK 4 (11 characters)

汁zhījuice针zhēnneedle土tǔearth, soil计jìto calculate章zhāngchapter克kèabbr. for 克羅地亞|克罗地亚, Croatia支zhīto support毕bìthe whole of叶xiéto be in harmony博bó(bound form) abundant辛xīn(of taste) hot or pungent

HSK 5 (6 characters)

木mùwood/tree古gǔancient华huáabbr. for China升shēngto ascend斗dǒuabbr. for the Big Dipper constellation 北斗星协xiéto cooperate

HSK 7-9 (2 characters)

卉huìplants卑bēilow

Frequently Asked Questions

What characters contain the ten component (十)?
There are 27 characters containing the ten component (十) in the HSK 3.0 character set (CLEC 2022 syllabus): 5 in HSK 1, 3 in HSK 3, 11 in HSK 4, 6 in HSK 5, 2 in HSK 7-9. The most frequently used include 什 (shén, "what"), 计 (jì, "to calculate"), 直 (zhí, "Zhi (c. 2000 BC), fifth of the legendary Flame Emperors 炎帝 descended from Shennong 神農|神农 Farmer God"), 克 (kè, "abbr. for 克羅地亞|克罗地亚, Croatia"), 南 (nán, "south"). Components are identified through character decomposition analysis.
Is 十 a radical or a component?
十 is both. As a Kangxi radical, 十 (ten) is part of the traditional system of 214 radicals used to classify Chinese characters in dictionaries. As a component, 十 is a building block that contributes meaning, sound, or structure to compound characters. When a character "has the ten radical," it means 十 is the character's primary classifier. When a character "contains the ten component," it means 十 appears in the character's decomposition, regardless of whether it serves as the primary radical.
What sound does the ten component (十) give to characters?
When 十 serves as a phonetic element (in 3 of its 27 characters), it commonly contributes these pronunciation patterns: zhi (汁); ji (计); xie (协). Phonetic components are one of the most powerful tools for reading unfamiliar characters — if you recognize 十 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 十 appear in a character?
The ten component (十) most commonly appears on the bottom of a character. Full position breakdown: bottom (8 characters), top (8 characters), right side (5 characters), base (3 characters), left side (2 characters), overlay (1 characters). Knowing where a component typically sits helps with character recognition — when you see 十 in its usual position, you can quickly identify it and infer the character's meaning or pronunciation.
What HSK levels include ten component characters?
Characters containing the ten component (十) appear across 5 HSK levels: 5 in HSK 1, 3 in HSK 3, 11 in HSK 4, 6 in HSK 5, 2 in HSK 7-9. The largest concentration is at HSK 4 with 11 characters. Earlier HSK levels introduce the most common ten-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).