立
The 立 radical
To stand, to set up
Memory hook
A person standing upright on the ground — the bottom stroke is the ground itself. 站 (to stand, station) and 竖 (upright) both carry the sense.
The 立 radical (read lì) means to stand, to set up. The HSK 3.0 data contains 8 characters and 59 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 立 radical
Study this radical's 59 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 立 radical
8 charactersHSK 1· 1 characters
HSK 1站
to stand
HSK 3· 1 characters
HSK 3立
to stand, to stand upright
HSK 4· 1 characters
HSK 4童
child, little kid
HSK 5· 1 characters
HSK 5竞
competition, rivalry
HSK 6· 1 characters
HSK 6端
end, tip
HSK 7-9· 3 characters
HSK 7-9竖
to set upright, to stand up
竣
to complete, to finish (a great undertaking)
竭
exhausted, depleted
Vocabulary with the 立 radical
59 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 立 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (35/59 words of this radical).
to stand
station, bus stop
subway station; metro station
to stand still
website
to establish; to found
to establish; to found; to set up
immediately; at once
to establish; to set up; to found
child, children
gas station
independent
immediately, at once
childhood
fairy tale
to establish; to found
opposing, antagonistic
to establish, to set up
to stand, to stand upright
standpoint, viewpoint
competition
competition, contest
extreme
platform (station)
end, tip
Dragon Boat Festival (the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, commemorating Qu Yuan).
neutral
dispute, conflict
public (established and run by the state; usually used for schools, hospitals, etc.)
to be isolated, to be cut off
cutting-edge, advanced (in technology); sharp tip
to stand towering and majestic
drawback; malpractice
to establish, to set up
nuclear power plant
Why learn vocabulary by the 立 radical?
The 立 radical hints at the meaning to stand, to set up. 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 8 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 59 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.