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."

• 媩hú🔊

  (used in female names) (old)

  12 strokes

• 媪ǎo🔊

  old woman

  12 strokes

• 媬bǎo🔊

  governess

  12 strokes

• 媭xū🔊

  (dialect) elder sister (old)

  12 strokes

• 媮tōu🔊

  improper

  12 strokes

• 妫Guī🔊

  surname Gui

  12 strokes

• 妈mā🔊

  HSK 1

  13 strokes

• 嫁jià🔊

  (of a woman) to marry

  HSK 7

  13 strokes

• 嫌xián🔊

  to dislike

  HSK 6

  13 strokes

• 嫔pín🔊

  imperial concubine

  13 strokes

• 嫄yuán🔊

  name of an empress

  13 strokes

• 媲pì🔊

  to match

  13 strokes

• 㛀chú🔊

  pregnant woman (archaic)

  13 strokes

• 媳xí🔊

  daughter-in-law

  13 strokes

• 媵yìng🔊

  maid escorting bride to new home

  13 strokes

• 媸chī🔊

  ugly woman

  13 strokes

• 媺měi🔊

  beautiful

  13 strokes

• 媻pán🔊

  to move

  13 strokes

• 媾gòu🔊

  to marry

  13 strokes

• 嫉jí🔊

  jealousy

  13 strokes

• 嫐nǎo🔊

  to tease; to play around with

  13 strokes

• 嫑biáo🔊

  (dialect) don't; must not (contracted form of 不要[bu4 yao4])

  13 strokes

• 嫒ài🔊

  used in 令嬡|令嫒[ling4 ai4]

  13 strokes

• 嫫mó🔊

  ugly woman

  13 strokes

• 嫩nèn🔊

  young and tender

  HSK 7

  14 strokes

• 嫖piáo🔊

  to visit a prostitute

  14 strokes

• 嫕yì🔊

  compliant

  14 strokes

• 妪yù🔊

  old woman

  14 strokes

• 嫘Léi🔊

  surname Lei

  14 strokes

• 嫙xuán🔊

  beautiful

  14 strokes

• 嫚mān🔊

  (dialect) girl

  14 strokes

• 嫜zhāng🔊

  husband's father

  14 strokes

• 嫠lí🔊

  (bound form) widow

  14 strokes

• 嫡dí🔊

  (bound form) of or by the wife, as opposed to a concubine (contrasted with 庶[shu4])

  14 strokes

• 嫣yān🔊

  (literary) lovely; sweet

  14 strokes

• 嫦cháng🔊

  used in 嫦娥[Chang2 e2]

  14 strokes

• 嫪lào🔊

  longing (unrequited passion)

  14 strokes

• 嫬zhē🔊

  old character used in female names

  14 strokes

• 嫭hù🔊

  beautiful

  14 strokes

• 嫮hù🔊

  old variant of 嫭[hu4]

  14 strokes

• 嫱qiáng🔊

  female court officials

  14 strokes

• 妩wǔ🔊

  used in 嫵媚|妩媚[wu3 mei4]

  15 strokes

• 娴xián🔊

  variant of 嫻|娴[xian2]

  15 strokes

• 嫽liáo🔊

  good

  15 strokes

• 娆ráo🔊

  graceful

  15 strokes

• 嬉xī🔊

  (literary) to amuse oneself; to play; to have fun

  15 strokes

• 娇jiāo🔊

  lovable

  15 strokes

• 嬎fàn🔊

  (dialect) (of birds) to lay eggs

  15 strokes