寸

Inch Radical (寸)

cùn · 3 strokes

The inch radical (寸) is a radical found in Chinese. It appears in 10 characters related to inch and associated concepts. 10 characters: 1 in HSK 1, 1 in HSK 3, 3 in HSK 4, 1 in HSK 5, 3 in HSK 6, 1 in HSK 7-9. Radical classifications follow the Kangxi radical system. Character data is based on the HSK 3.0 Standard (CLEC 2022 syllabus).

Radical vs. Component: 寸 is also a character component. As a radical, it classifies characters in dictionaries. As a component, it appears as a building block contributing meaning, sound, or structure. For component-specific details including role analysis and position patterns, see the Inch Component (寸) page.

Inch Radical at a Glance

Stroke Count3
Total Characters10
Most Common HSK LevelHSK 4 (3 characters)
Avg. Character Strokes7
ClassificationKangxi Radicals

All Inch Radical Characters

HSK 1 (1 characters)

对duìright

HSK 3 (1 characters)

封fēngto confer

HSK 4 (3 characters)

导dǎoto transmit将jiāngwill尊zūnsenior

HSK 5 (1 characters)

寻xúnto search

HSK 6 (3 characters)

寸cùna unit of length射shèto shoot寿shòulong life

HSK 7-9 (1 characters)

寺sìBuddhist temple

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the inch radical mean in Chinese characters?
The inch radical (寸) signals a semantic connection to inch-related concepts. When you see 寸 in a character, it typically indicates the character's meaning involves inch or associated ideas. It appears in 10 characters in the HSK character set. Radical classifications follow the Kangxi radical system, the traditional standard for organizing Chinese characters.
How many characters use the inch radical?
There are 10 characters with the inch radical (寸) in the HSK 3.0 character set (CLEC 2022 syllabus): 1 in HSK 1, 1 in HSK 3, 3 in HSK 4, 1 in HSK 5, 3 in HSK 6, 1 in HSK 7-9. The distribution across HSK levels reflects how fundamental inch-related concepts are at each stage of Mandarin learning.
What are the most common inch radical characters?
By frequency of use, the most common characters with the inch radical (寸) are: 对 (duì, "right"), 将 (jiāng, "will"), 导 (dǎo, "to transmit"), 射 (shè, "to shoot"), 封 (fēng, "to confer"). These high-frequency characters are among the first inch-related characters most learners encounter.
What HSK levels include inch radical characters?
Characters with the inch radical (寸) appear across 6 HSK levels: 1 in HSK 1, 1 in HSK 3, 3 in HSK 4, 1 in HSK 5, 3 in HSK 6, 1 in HSK 7-9. The largest concentration is at HSK 4 with 3 characters. Earlier HSK levels introduce the most common inch-related characters, while advanced levels add specialized or literary terms.

Sources & Standards

Radical classifications on this page follow the Kangxi radical system (康熙部首), the standard set of 214 radicals codified in the Kangxi Dictionary (康熙字典, 1716). Character data is based on 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.