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."

• 奶nǎi🔊

  mother

  HSK 1

  5 strokes

• 奴nú🔊

  slave

  5 strokes

• 好hǎo🔊

  good

  HSK 1

  6 strokes

• 她tā🔊

  she

  HSK 1

  6 strokes

• 妈mā🔊

  ma

  HSK 1

  6 strokes

• 如rú🔊

  as

  HSK 6

  6 strokes

• 妆zhuāng🔊

  variant of 妝|妆[zhuang1]

  6 strokes

• 奸jiān🔊

  wicked

  6 strokes

• 妃fēi🔊

  imperial concubine

  6 strokes

• 姹chà🔊

  (literary) beautiful

  6 strokes

• 妁shuò🔊

  (literary) matchmaker (on the bride's side)

  6 strokes

• 妄wàng🔊

  absurd

  6 strokes

• 妅hóng🔊

  old variant of 娂[hong2]

  6 strokes

• 妇fù🔊

  woman

  6 strokes