west

Origin & mnemonic

This radical derives from a pictographic form in oracle-bone script, depicting a bundle or bag tied together, semantically linked to the concept of binding or the western direction in ancient geographical context.

Mnemonic: Picture a tightly bundled bag or parcel to remember the shape and the western direction association.

• 西xī🔊

  west

  HSK 1

  6 strokes

• 襾yà🔊

  cover

  6 strokes

• 要yào🔊

  to want; to need; to ask for

  HSK 1

  9 strokes

• 覂fěng🔊

  to throw a rider

  10 strokes

• 覃tán🔊

  deep

  12 strokes

• 覅fiào🔊

  (dialect) must not; please don't (contracted form of 勿要[wu4 yao4])

  13 strokes

• 复fù🔊

  to go and return

  18 strokes

• 覉jī🔊

  variant of 羈|羁[ji1]

  23 strokes