earth

(tu3)

Radical no. 32 · 3 strokes (32 部首 · 3 32 bùshǒu · 3 huà)

Radical ⼟ (tǔ) — meaning: earth, 3 strokes.

Origin & mnemonic

This radical originates from a pictograph in oracle-bone script depicting a mound or patch of earth with three horizontal layers representing the ground and what lies beneath it.

Mnemonic: Three horizontal strokes stacked like layers of earth—remember the earth radical by picturing three layers of soil.

Characters with this radical (含此部首的字 hán cǐ bùshǒu de zì)

16 characters
  • shèng

    variant of 聖|圣[sheng4]

    5 strokes

  • tǐng

    flat

    5 strokes

  • zài

    to exist; to be alive

    HSK 1

    6 strokes

  • de

    -ly

    HSK 1

    6 strokes

  • chǎng

    large place used for a specific purpose

    HSK 2

    6 strokes

  • guī

    jade tablet, square at the base and rounded or pointed at the top, held by the nobility at ceremonies

    6 strokes

  • wéi

    dike

    6 strokes

  • (phonetic)

    6 strokes

  • tuō

    (used in place names)

    6 strokes

  • to plaster

    6 strokes

  • destroyed

    6 strokes

  • bridge, bank

    6 strokes

  • qiān

    a field of three li

    6 strokes

  • zhèn

    (dialect) drainage ditch between fields (Taiwan pr. [zun4])

    6 strokes

  • kuàng

    tomb

    6 strokes

  • used in 垃圾[la1 ji1]

    6 strokes

Related radicals (相关部首 xiāngguān bùshǒu)

Same stroke count or numerically adjacent in the 214-radical set.