Chinese Radicals Workbook: 50 Radicals to Read New Characters

By the end you can

• Find where a radical sits in a character. Spot the radical on the left, on top, on the right or around the outside, as in 你, 花, 到 and 国, and notice the ones that sit at the bottom, like 心 in 想.
  我想你。 · Wǒ xiǎng nǐ. · I miss you.
• Read the radicals for people. 亻, 女, 子 and 老, with three characters each. Sort characters by radical, guess meanings like 婚 and 孙, and build 他 from 亻 and 也.
  他是我的老师。 · Tā shì wǒ de lǎoshī. · He is my teacher.
• Read the radicals for the body and the mind. 口, 目, 手 and 耳, then 心 and 忄 for feelings, 讠 for speech and 页 for the head. 请, 课 and 谢 all have 讠.
  我很快乐。 · Wǒ hěn kuàilè. · I am very happy.
• Tell water, fire and ice apart by counting dots. Three dots 氵 mean water and two dots 冫 mean ice or cold. Fire appears as 火 on the left or four dots 灬 at the bottom.
  今天很冷，河里有冰。 · Jīntiān hěn lěng, hé lǐ yǒu bīng. · It is cold today; there is ice on the river.
• Guess menu items and signs from their radicals. After the earth, stone, plant and weather radicals, a review page reads a menu and a no-smoking sign: 烤 has fire, 汤 has water.
  这个字我不认识，是什么菜？ · Zhège zì wǒ bú rènshi, shì shénme cài? · I don't know this character. What dish is it?
• Read the radicals for food, clothes, home and movement. Food, rice, silk and clothing, then roof, building, gate and door, then 辶, 走, 彳 and 足 for moving. 起 has 走 inside.
  你几点起床？ · Nǐ jǐ diǎn qǐchuáng? · What time do you get up?
• Read the radicals for tools, money and animals. Metal, knife, strength and shell for tool and shopping characters, then dog, bird, horse and fish, with a page on telling meaning from sound.
• Tell look-alike radicals apart. 礻 and 衤 differ by one stroke, and 阝 means a hill on the left but a town on the right, as in 院 and 都.
  我在医院工作。 · Wǒ zài yīyuàn gōngzuò. · I work at a hospital.
• Guess the meaning of characters you've never seen. Use the radical as a clue to new characters like 湖, 松, 饱 and 霜, then find one on a real sign or app and guess it.
  有三点水，跟水有关系。 · Yǒu sān diǎn shuǐ, gēn shuǐ yǒu guānxi. · It has three-dot water, so it's about water.

What’s inside

• Positions: Where Radicals Sit · Spot the Radical
• People: Person, Woman, Child, Old Age · Sort, Guess and Build
• Body: Mouth, Eye, Hand, Ear · Use the Body Radicals
• Heart and Mind: Heart, Speech and Head · Feelings and Words
• Water, Fire, Ice: Water, Fire and Ice · Count the Dots
• Earth and Stone: Earth, Stone, Mountain, Jade · Places and Things
• Plants: Tree, Grass, Bamboo, Grain · Trees, Flowers and Bamboo
• Sun, Moon, Weather: Sun, Moon and Rain
• Review: Reading a Menu and Signs
• Food and Clothes: Food, Rice, Silk, Clothing · Eat and Wear
• Home and Buildings: Roof, Building, Gate, Door · Around the House
• Movement and Roads: Walk, Go, Step, Foot · On the Move
• Tools and Money: Metal, Knife, Strength, Shell · Shopping Characters
• Animals: Dog, Bird, Horse, Fish · Animal Characters
• Look-Alikes: Radicals That Look the Same · Spot the Difference
• Review: Guess New Characters
• Radical Chart: Radicals 1–10: People and Body · Radicals 11–20: Nature · Radicals 21–30: Sky, Food, Clothes · Radicals 31–40: Home, Road, Tools · Radicals 41–50: Animals and More
• Cut-Out Cards: Eight Radical Cards

How to use this book

Most groups take two pages: a Learn page with four radicals, then a Practice page that uses them. Two reviews, a chart of all 50 and eight cut-out cards follow.

1. Week 1: Positions, people and body. Pages 3–10: where radicals sit, then the people, body and mind radicals. Say each radical's name aloud with its three example characters.
2. Week 2: Nature. Pages 11–18: water, fire and ice, earth and stone, plants, sun, moon and rain, then guess a menu and signs.
3. Week 3: Daily life. Pages 19–28: food and clothes, home and buildings, movement, tools and money, and animals.
4. Week 4: Look-alikes and guessing. Pages 29–31: tell look-alike radicals apart, then guess new characters from their radicals.
5. Any time: Chart and cards. Keep the chart on pages 32–36 next to you when reading, and cut out the eight most common radicals on page 37 to review.

Who it’s for

Beginners who know some characters and want a way to remember them and guess new ones, instead of learning each one as a separate shape.

Before you start: A few dozen characters and pinyin with tone marks. Every radical and example character comes with pinyin and an English meaning.

Frequently asked questions

Which 50 radicals does it cover?

Everyday ones in twelve groups: people, body, heart and mind, water, fire and ice, earth and stone, plants, sky, food and clothes, home, movement, tools and money, and animals, plus the look-alikes.

Does a radical always tell me the meaning?

No. The book calls a radical a clue. 彳 means step, for example, but in 很 and 得 it no longer hints at the meaning.

How is it different from the radicals quick reference?

This is a workbook: you learn the radicals in groups and practise sorting, building and guessing on every second page. The Chinese Radicals Chart is a reference for looking up forms.

Is this workbook free?

Yes. The whole 46-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 · Learn 100 More Useful Chinese Characters by Component · The SayMei Chinese Characters Practice Book · Chinese Radicals Flashcards: 48 Common Radicals to Print and Cut · Learn radicals online in SayMei Radicals · Browse all 294 workbooks