皿
The 皿 radical
Dish, vessel
Memory hook
A footed bowl seen from the side. It sits at the bottom of a character and always means a container: 盘 (plate), 盆 (basin), 盒 (box).
The 皿 radical (read mǐn) means dish, vessel. The HSK 3.0 data contains 12 characters and 66 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 皿 radical
Study this radical's 66 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 皿 radical
12 charactersHSK 4· 4 characters
HSK 4益
beneficial, benefit
盐
salt
盖
to build
盘
plate, dish
HSK 5· 2 characters
HSK 5盆
basin, pot
盒
box
HSK 6· 4 characters
HSK 6监
to supervise, to guard
盗
to rob, to steal
盛
prosperous; flourishing
盟
alliance; pact
HSK 7-9· 2 characters
HSK 7-9盈
full, brimming
盏
(measure word for lamps, cups, bowls)
Vocabulary with the 皿 radical
66 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 皿 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (31/66 words of this radical).
optical disc
interest, benefit
earnings, profit
salt
to build
plate, dish
plate, tray
basin, pot
box
box
boxed meal
washbasin, sink
keyboard
to join (a franchise), to join up
robber, bandit
director, chief officer
prosperous, flourishing
to monitor, to detect
to supervise, to oversee
illegal copy, pirated edition
popular, prevalent
alliance, league
abundant, sumptuous
public welfare, activities for the community
the quality of being for the community, the nature of serving the public interest
to benefit, to gain advantage
alliance
to benefit from, to owe to
to cover up, to conceal
benefit, efficiency, returns
steering wheel
Why learn vocabulary by the 皿 radical?
The 皿 radical hints at the meaning dish, vessel. When you meet an unfamiliar character carrying it, you already know part of its meaning before reaching for a dictionary — which is why learners who know their radicals move faster.
How to study: read the memory hook, skim the 12 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 66 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.