woman

Origin & mnemonic

This radical originates from a pictograph in oracle-bone and seal scripts, depicting the form of a woman with arms crossed or raised in prayer. Over time, this image was simplified into the three distinctive curved strokes we see today.

Mnemonic: Three curved strokes hugged together like the silhouette of a woman's body — easy to remember as "woman."

• 妭bá🔊

  (literary) beautiful woman

  8 strokes

• 妯zhóu🔊

  used in 妯娌[zhou2 li5]

  8 strokes

• 妵tǒu🔊

  (feminine name)

  8 strokes

• 妸ē🔊

  (used in female given names)

  8 strokes

• 妺mò🔊

  wife of the last ruler of the Xia dynasty

  8 strokes

• 妽shēn🔊

  (used in female names)

  8 strokes

• 姁xǔ🔊

  chatter like old woman

  8 strokes

• 姄mín🔊

  (used in female given names) (old)

  8 strokes

• 姅bàn🔊

  menstruation

  8 strokes

• 姈líng🔊

  (literary) (of a woman) intelligent

  8 strokes

• 姗shān🔊

  used in 姍姍|姗姗[shan1 shan1]

  8 strokes

• 姑gū🔊

  paternal aunt

  8 strokes

• 娜nà🔊

  (phonetic na)

  9 strokes

• 娅yà🔊

  (literary) term of address between husbands of sisters

  9 strokes

• 威wēi🔊

  power

  9 strokes

• 姜jiāng🔊

  ginger

  HSK 7

  9 strokes

• 娃wá🔊

  baby

  9 strokes

• 娄Lóu🔊

  surname Lou

  9 strokes

• 姿zī🔊

  beauty

  9 strokes

• 姨yí🔊

  mother's sister

  HSK 7

  9 strokes

• 㛂nuǒ🔊

  graceful; frail and petite

  9 strokes

• 㛃jié🔊

  variant of 潔|洁[jie2] (mostly used in given names)

  9 strokes

• 姘pīn🔊

  to be a mistress or lover

  9 strokes

• 姚yáo🔊

  handsome

  9 strokes

• 姝shū🔊

  pretty woman

  9 strokes

• 姞Jí🔊

  surname Ji

  9 strokes

• 姣jiāo🔊

  cunning

  9 strokes

• 姤gòu🔊

  copulate

  9 strokes

• 姥lǎo🔊

  grandma (maternal)

  9 strokes

• 姧jiān🔊

  variant of 姦|奸[jian1], adultery, villain

  9 strokes

• 姮héng🔊

  feminine name (old)

  9 strokes

• 姱kuā🔊

  fascinating

  9 strokes

• 姵pèi🔊

  (used in female names)

  9 strokes

• 姶è🔊

  wonderful

  9 strokes

• 姸yán🔊

  variant of 妍

  9 strokes

• 姺xiǎn🔊

  name of an ancient state

  9 strokes

• 姻yīn🔊

  variant of 姻[yin1]

  9 strokes

• 姽guǐ🔊

  quiet and nice

  9 strokes

• 娀sōng🔊

  name of an ancient state

  9 strokes

• 娂hóng🔊

  (used in female names)

  9 strokes

• 娆ráo🔊

  graceful

  9 strokes

• 娇jiāo🔊

  lovable

  9 strokes

• 娈luán🔊

  beautiful

  9 strokes

• 婙jìng🔊

  old variant of 婧[jing4]

  9 strokes

• 娘niáng🔊

  variant of 娘[niang2]

  HSK 7

  10 strokes

• 娩miǎn🔊

  to give birth to a child

  10 strokes

• 姬jī🔊

  woman

  10 strokes

• 娥é🔊

  good

  10 strokes