two hands

Origin & mnemonic

This radical originates from a pictograph depicting two hands cupped or clasped together. In oracle-bone script and seal script, it was represented as two hands combined, expressing the meaning of joining or enclosing.

Mnemonic: Two cupped hands holding or protecting something—picture your palms folded together to grasp or shelter.

• 廾gǒng🔊

  hands joined

  3 strokes

• 开kāi🔊

  to open (transitive or intransitive)

  HSK 1

  4 strokes

• 廿niàn🔊

  twenty

  4 strokes

• 弁biàn🔊

  (old) cap (garment)

  5 strokes

• 异yì🔊

  different

  6 strokes

• 弄nòng🔊

  old variant of 弄[nong4]

  HSK 2

  7 strokes

• 弃qì🔊

  to abandon

  7 strokes

• 弆jǔ🔊

  (literary) to collect

  8 strokes

• 弇yǎn🔊

  to cover

  9 strokes

• 弈yì🔊

  ancient name for go (Chinese board game)

  9 strokes

• 弊bì🔊

  detriment

  14 strokes