Chinese Radicals Flashcards: 48 Common Radicals to Print and Cut

By the end you can

• Know where a radical sits from its name. 旁 means it stands on the left, 头 on top, 底 at the bottom, and 框 means it wraps around the outside.
  左边是三点水。 · Zuǒbian shì sāndiǎnshuǐ. · On the left is the three-dot water radical.
• Name 16 radicals for people, the body and nature. Cards 1 to 16: 亻, 女, 口, 扌, 目, 忄 and 讠, then 氵, 火, 灬, 冫, 日, 月, 雨 and 山, each with its name, meaning and an example word like 游泳.
• Name 16 radicals for plants, earth, animals and money. Cards 17 to 32: 木, 艹, 禾, 米, 土, 石 and 王, then 犭, 鸟, 鱼, 马, 虫, 贝, 钅 and 纟, with example words like 苹果, 银行 and 很贵.
  上面是草字头。 · Shàngmiàn shì cǎozìtóu. · On top is the grass radical.
• Name 16 radicals for home, food, clothes and moving. Cards 33 to 48: 宀, 门, 广, 衤, 饣, 礻, 囗 and 页, then 辶, 彳, 阝, 刂, 力, 攵, 疒 and 车, with example words like 礼物, 运动 and 头疼.
• Guess the meaning of new characters from their radical. Sort 16 new characters into the water and mouth families and the hand and tree families, then guess that 湖 is a lake, 吹 is to blow and 桥 is a bridge.
  这是提手旁，我猜跟手有关。 · Zhè shì tíshǒupáng, wǒ cāi gēn shǒu yǒuguān. · This is the hand radical, so I guess it has to do with the hand.
• Build words from a radical and a sound part. Add 日, 讠 or 氵 to 青 for 晴, 请 and 清, and food, foot or hand radicals to 包 for 饱, 跑 and 抱: the radical gives the meaning, the other part a hint of the sound.
  吃饱了，我们去跑步吧！ · Chībǎo le, wǒmen qù pǎobù ba! · We're full now, so let's go for a run!
• Practise with five card games and a 12-day chart. Three piles, a one-minute race, a family sort, guess the character and a word chain, with a chart that takes you through all 48 cards in 12 days.
  这个部首叫什么？ · Zhège bùshǒu jiào shénme? · What is this radical called?

What’s inside

• How Radicals Help: What a Radical Tells You
• Radicals 1–8: People and Body: Cards 1–8
• Radicals 9–16: Water, Fire and Sky: Cards 9–16
• Radicals 17–24: Plants, Earth and Stone: 17–24
• Radicals 25–32: Animals and Treasures: 25–32
• Radicals 33–40: Home, Food and Clothes: 33–40
• Radicals 41–48: Moving and Doing: Cards 41–48
• Guess: Sort and Guess 16 New Characters · Build Words From Radical Families
• Ways to play: Five Games and a 12-Day Chart

How to use this book

Print pages 4 to 9 on thick paper and cut out the 48 cards. Ten minutes a day, out loud: cover the name with your thumb, say the name and meaning, then check. The book's chart takes 12 days.

1. Before you start: Print, cut and read page 3. Print pages 4 to 9, cut along the dashed lines, and learn what 旁, 头, 底 and 框 tell you about where a radical sits.
2. Days 1–3: Cards 1–16. Say each card with the free audio, then sort the cards into three piles: know it, almost, not yet.
3. Days 4–6: Cards 17–32. Same routine with the next 16 cards, plus a one-minute race with cards 1 to 16.
4. Days 7–9: Cards 33–48. Add the last 16 cards, then do a family sort with every card so far: body, nature, animals and home.
5. Days 10–12: All 48 cards and the guessing pages. Do pages 10 and 11, check them in the key at the back, then play guess the character and word chain. Keep your not-yet pile in a pocket.

Who it’s for

Adult beginners who keep meeting new characters and want a way into them: 48 common radicals on cards you can carry, shuffle and play with.

Before you start: Knowing a few characters helps, but you can start from zero. Each card gives the radical's name in pinyin, its meaning and an example word, and the free audio reads every name and word with a pause to say it back.

Frequently asked questions

Can a radical tell me what a character means?

It gives a hint. 氵 points to water but doesn't tell you which word. The other part often hints at the sound: 请 has 讠 for speech and 青 (qīng) for the sound. Pages 10 and 11 practise both.

Do I need a partner for the games?

No. Three piles, the one-minute race, the family sort and the word chain all work on your own. Guess the character is best with a partner who points at a new character on a sign or a menu.

Where can I learn more about each radical?

The book points to saymei.app/radicals for a closer look at each one. For children aged 7 to 10, see Chinese Radicals for Kids.

Is this workbook free?

Yes. The whole 13-page PDF is free, and you can look through its pages here before you download. There's no card and nothing to pay.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Can I print copies for my class?

Yes. Print as many copies as you like for your own class or family. To share it, send this page: everyone can download their own copy.

Keep going

Chinese Radicals Chart: Common Radicals and Their Changing Forms · Chinese Radicals Workbook: 50 Radicals to Read New Characters · The SayMei Chinese Characters Practice Book · 100 Common Chinese Characters, Learned by Component · Browse all 294 workbooks