knife

Origin & mnemonic

This radical originates from a pictographic depiction of a knife blade in oracle-bone script. It represents the shape of a cutting blade or sword.

Mnemonic: The vertical stroke with a slight curve at the top resembles a sharp blade poised to cut.

• 副fù🔊

  secondary

  HSK 6

  11 strokes

• 剪jiǎn🔊

  (bound form) scissors or similar tool

  HSK 5

  11 strokes

• 剳dá🔊

  hook

  11 strokes

• 剩shèng🔊

  variant of 剩[sheng4]

  HSK 5

  12 strokes

• 割gē🔊

  to cut

  HSK 7

  12 strokes

• 创chuàng🔊

  variant of 創|创[chuang4]

  HSK 7

  12 strokes

• 剀kǎi🔊

  used in 剴切|剀切[kai3 qie4]

  12 strokes

• 剺lí🔊

  mark

  13 strokes

• 剽piāo🔊

  to rob

  13 strokes

• 剿jiǎo🔊

  to destroy

  13 strokes

• 划huà🔊

  to delimit

  HSK 4

  14 strokes

• 劀guā🔊

  (archaic) to scrape away decayed flesh or pus

  14 strokes

• 劁qiāo🔊

  to neuter livestock

  14 strokes

• 劂jué🔊

  used in 剞劂[ji1 jue2]

  14 strokes

• 劄zhā🔊

  to prick with a needle

  14 strokes

• 剑jiàn🔊

  variant of 劍|剑[jian4]

  HSK 6

  15 strokes

• 刘liú🔊

  (classical) a type of battle-ax

  15 strokes

• 剧jù🔊

  theatrical work (play, opera, TV series etc)

  HSK 6

  15 strokes

• 劈pī🔊

  to hack

  HSK 7

  15 strokes

• 刽guì🔊

  to amputate

  15 strokes

• 刿guì🔊

  cut

  15 strokes

• 㓥tāng🔊

  (Cantonese) to butcher; to cut open; to chop up (used in 劏房|㓥房[tang1 fang2])

  15 strokes

• 劐huō🔊

  (coll.) to slit with a knife

  15 strokes

• 剂jì🔊

  (bound form) a compound made by mixing ingredients (esp. a medicinal or chemical product)

  HSK 7

  16 strokes

• 劓yì🔊

  cut off the nose

  16 strokes

• 劖chán🔊

  bore

  19 strokes

• 劘mó🔊

  whittle

  21 strokes

• 劙lí🔊

  a divide, to partition

  23 strokes