言

Words Component (言)

yán · 2 strokes

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

Radical vs. Component: 言 is also a Kangxi radical (speech). 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 Words Radical (讠) page.

Words Component at a Glance

Stroke Count2
Total Characters5
Primary RoleStructural
Typical Positionbottom
Most Common HSK LevelHSK 7-9 (2 characters)
Avg. Character Strokes11
Also a Kangxi Radical?Yes — view radical page

All Words Component Characters

HSK 3 (1 characters)

信xìnbelieve, letter

HSK 4 (1 characters)

警jǐngto alert

HSK 6 (1 characters)

誉yùto praise

HSK 7-9 (2 characters)

譬pìto give an example誓shìoath

Frequently Asked Questions

What characters contain the words component (言)?
There are 5 characters containing the words component (言) in the HSK 3.0 character set (CLEC 2022 syllabus): 1 in HSK 3, 1 in HSK 4, 1 in HSK 6, 2 in HSK 7-9. The most frequently used include 信 (xìn, "believe, letter"), 警 (jǐng, "to alert"), 誉 (yù, "to praise"), 誓 (shì, "oath"), 譬 (pì, "to give an example"). Components are identified through character decomposition analysis.
Is 言 a radical or a component?
言 is both. As a Kangxi radical, 言 (speech) is part of the traditional system of 214 radicals used to classify Chinese characters in dictionaries. As a component, 言 is a building block that contributes meaning, sound, or structure to compound characters. When a character "has the words radical," it means 言 is the character's primary classifier. When a character "contains the words component," it means 言 appears in the character's decomposition, regardless of whether it serves as the primary radical.
Where does 言 appear in a character?
The words component (言) most commonly appears on the bottom of a character. Full position breakdown: bottom (4 characters), right side (1 characters). Knowing where a component typically sits helps with character recognition — when you see 言 in its usual position, you can quickly identify it and infer the character's meaning or pronunciation.
What HSK levels include words component characters?
Characters containing the words component (言) appear across 4 HSK levels: 1 in HSK 3, 1 in HSK 4, 1 in HSK 6, 2 in HSK 7-9. The largest concentration is at HSK 7-9 with 2 characters. Earlier HSK levels introduce the most common words-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).