speech

yán (yan2)

Radical no. 149 · 7 strokes (149 部首 · 7 149 bùshǒu · 7 huà)

Radical ⾔ (yán) — meaning: speech, 7 strokes.

Origin & mnemonic

This radical originates from a pictograph representing speech and language, with a mouth (the center stroke) emitting words or utterances (the surrounding strokes). In seal script and oracle-bone script, it depicts the act of speaking and conveying ideas.

Mnemonic: Picture a mouth releasing lines of words—the speech radical shows three vertical strokes plus slanted marks suggesting utterance flowing outward.

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

94 characters
  • old variant of 詞|词[ci2]

    HSK 2

    7 strokes

  • yán

    words

    7 strokes

  • zhèng

    certificate

    HSK 3

    7 strokes

  • to translate

    HSK 7

    7 strokes

  • zhà

    to cheat

    7 strokes

  • shí

    to know

    HSK 6

    7 strokes

  • variant of 訴|诉[su4]

    7 strokes

  • yán

    "speech" or "words" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 149)

    7 strokes

  • to comment

    7 strokes

  • to scold

    7 strokes

  • píng

    to discuss

    HSK 6

    7 strokes

  • curse

    7 strokes

  • xiòng

    (literary) to spy

    7 strokes

  • zhěn

    to examine or treat medically

    7 strokes

  • to defame

    7 strokes

  • zhōu

    to make up (a story)

    7 strokes

  • to bend

    7 strokes

  • zhào

    (literary) to admonish

    7 strokes

  • unfair

    7 strokes

  • (archaic) to present

    7 strokes

  • 𧮪zhān

    garrulous

    7 strokes

  • gāi

    should

    HSK 2

    8 strokes

  • huà

    dialect

    HSK 1

    8 strokes

  • shì

    to test

    HSK 1

    8 strokes

  • shī

    poem

    HSK 4

    8 strokes

  • guǐ

    (bound form) sly; crafty

    8 strokes

  • chà

    to be surprised

    8 strokes

  • chéng

    (bound form) sincere; authentic

    8 strokes

  • kuāng

    to mislead

    8 strokes

  • lěi

    to eulogize the dead

    8 strokes

  • guà

    to deceive

    8 strokes

  • jié

    (bound form) to question closely; to interrogate

    8 strokes

  • huī

    whimsical

    8 strokes

  • zhū

    to put (a criminal) to death

    8 strokes

  • shēn

    to inform

    8 strokes

  • dàn

    birth

    8 strokes

  • gòu

    disgrace

    8 strokes

  • quán

    to explain

    8 strokes

  • xún

    to ask about

    8 strokes

  • to go (to visit a superior)

    8 strokes

  • zhèng

    to admonish

    8 strokes

  • xiáng

    detailed

    8 strokes

  • hùn

    jest

    8 strokes

  • to brag

    8 strokes

  • shuō

    to speak; to talk; to say

    HSK 1

    9 strokes

  • éi

    variant of 欸[ei2]

    9 strokes

  • dìng

    to agree

    HSK 3

    9 strokes

  • dialect

    9 strokes

Related radicals (相关部首 xiāngguān bùshǒu)

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