say

Origin & mnemonic

This radical derives from a pictograph in oracle-bone script depicting an open mouth emitting speech. The original form was a rectangle with a horizontal stroke through the center, symbolizing the mouth.

Mnemonic: A rectangular frame divided by a horizontal line, like an open mouth ready to speak.

• 曰yuē🔊

  to speak

  HSK 7

  4 strokes

• 电diàn🔊

  lightning

  HSK 1

  5 strokes

• 曱yuē🔊

  used in 曱甴[yue1 zha2]

  5 strokes

• 曲qū🔊

  variant of 麴|曲[qu1]

  HSK 7

  6 strokes

• 曳yè🔊

  to drag

  6 strokes

• 更gèng🔊

  more

  HSK 2

  7 strokes

• 曷hé🔊

  why

  9 strokes

• 书shū🔊

  book

  HSK 1

  10 strokes

• 曻shēng🔊

  variant of 昇|升[sheng1]

  10 strokes

• 曹cáo🔊

  class or grade

  11 strokes

• 最zuì🔊

  HSK 1

  12 strokes

• 曾céng🔊

  once

  HSK 4

  12 strokes

• 替tì🔊

  to substitute for

  HSK 4

  12 strokes

• 朁cǎn🔊

  if, supposing, nevertheless

  12 strokes

• 会huì🔊

  HSK 1

  13 strokes

• 朅qiè🔊

  to leave

  14 strokes

• 朆fēn🔊

  not yet (Wu dialect)

  16 strokes