穴
The 穴 radical
Cave, hole
Memory hook
A cave hollowed out under an earthen roof. Characters with it suggest emptiness or an opening: 空 (empty), 穿 (to pass through), 窗 (window).
The 穴 radical (read xué) means cave, hole. The HSK 3.0 data contains 18 characters and 73 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 穴 radical
Study this radical's 73 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 穴 radical
18 charactersThe free plan shows 9 characters per HSK level (15/18 characters of this radical).
HSK 1· 1 characters
HSK 1穿
to wear (clothes), to put on (shoes)
HSK 2· 1 characters
HSK 2空
empty; hollow
HSK 3· 1 characters
HSK 3突
suddenly, abruptly
HSK 4· 3 characters
HSK 4究
to research, to study
穷
poor, destitute
窗
window
HSK 7-9· 9 characters
HSK 7-9穴
cave, hole
窃
to steal, to thieve
窄
narrow, cramped
窍
hole
窑
kiln, pottery kiln
窒
to choke, to be stuffed up
窘
in a bind, at an impasse
窜
to flee, to run away
窝
nest (of an animal)
Vocabulary with the 穴 radical
73 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 穴 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (36/73 words of this radical).
to wear (clothes), to put on (shoes)
to have free time
air
sky
empty; hollow
free time; spare moment
air conditioner; air conditioning
outstanding; prominent
suddenly; abrupt
to fill in the blank
to research, to study
graduate student, postgraduate
in the end, ultimately
poor, destitute
poor person, the poor
empty, vacant, to leave empty
space
to put on, to slip on
conflict, contradiction
universe, outer space
research institute
in the sky; in the air
to break through, to surpass
curtain
air force
window, service counter
to investigate, to look into
the sky above; airspace above
to peep, to spy on (often involving privacy)
a common occurrence, nothing unusual
to emerge continuously, endlessly appearing
infinite, boundless
spacetime, space and time
narrow, cramped
theft, larceny
vacuum, void
Why learn vocabulary by the 穴 radical?
The 穴 radical hints at the meaning cave, hole. 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 18 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 73 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.