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."

• 女nǚ🔊

  female

  HSK 1

  3 strokes

• 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

• 妓jì🔊

  prostitute

  7 strokes

• 妞niū🔊

  girl

  7 strokes

• 妖yāo🔊

  goblin

  7 strokes

• 妙miào🔊

  clever

  HSK 6

  7 strokes

• 姊zǐ🔊

  old variant of 姊[zi3]

  7 strokes

• 妥tuǒ🔊

  suitable

  HSK 7

  7 strokes

• 妍yán🔊

  beautiful

  7 strokes

• 妉dān🔊

  old variant of 媅[dan1]

  7 strokes

• 妊rèn🔊

  pregnant

  7 strokes

• 妏wèn🔊

  (used in female names)

  7 strokes

• 妒dù🔊

  to envy (success, talent)

  7 strokes

• 妗jìn🔊

  wife of mother's brother

  7 strokes

• 妘Yún🔊

  surname Yun

  7 strokes

• 妚pēi🔊

  variant of 胚[pei1]

  7 strokes

• 妣bǐ🔊

  deceased mother

  7 strokes

• 妤yú🔊

  used in 婕妤[jie2 yu2]

  7 strokes

• 妨fáng🔊

  to hinder

  7 strokes

• 妩wǔ🔊

  used in 嫵媚|妩媚[wu3 mei4]

  7 strokes

• 妪yù🔊

  old woman

  7 strokes

• 妫Guī🔊

  surname Gui

  7 strokes

• 姒sì🔊

  wife or senior concubine of husbands older brother (old)

  7 strokes

• 妮nī🔊

  girl

  8 strokes

• 姓xìng🔊

  family name; surname

  HSK 2

  8 strokes

• 姆mǔ🔊

  (old) female tutor

  8 strokes

• 姐jiě🔊

  older sister

  HSK 1

  8 strokes

• 妹mèi🔊

  younger sister

  HSK 1

  8 strokes

• 委wěi🔊

  to entrust

  8 strokes

• 妻qī🔊

  (bound form) wife

  8 strokes

• 始shǐ🔊

  to begin

  8 strokes

• 妲Dá🔊

  female personal name (archaic)

  8 strokes

• 妾qiè🔊

  concubine

  8 strokes

• 㚻jī🔊

  used in 㚻姦|㚻奸[ji1 jian1]

  8 strokes

• 㛀chú🔊

  pregnant woman (archaic)

  8 strokes