八
The 八 radical
Eight, to divide
Variants: 丷
Memory hook
Two strokes splitting apart
The 八 radical (read bā) means eight, to divide. The HSK 3.0 data contains 15 characters and 195 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 八 radical
Study this radical's 195 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 八 radical
15 charactersHSK 1· 4 characters
HSK 1八
eight
六
six
关
to close; to shut
兴
to flourish, to thrive
HSK 2· 5 characters
HSK 2公
public, common
共
together, in total
其
his/her/its
典
allusion; classic example
养
to raise (animals or children)
HSK 3· 1 characters
HSK 3具
tool, implement
HSK 4· 1 characters
HSK 4兵
soldier
HSK 7-9· 4 characters
HSK 7-9兰
orchid
兹
hereby, herewith (usually used in formal documents)
兼
to hold concurrently, to do at the same time
兽
beast, animal
Vocabulary with the 八 radical
195 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 八 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (60/195 words of this radical).
eight
six
to close; to shut
to close (a door, lid, etc.)
it's all right, never mind
happy; glad
in total; altogether
bus
bus
company
park
fair
kilogram (kg)
highway; main road
kilometer (a unit of length equal to 1000 meters)
public; communal
civil servant; public official
to announce; to make public
open; not concealed
citizen
common; joint; together
to own jointly; to share in common
to pay attention to; to follow closely
relationship
colorful, multicolored
the Common Era (CE)
together, in total
about, regarding
to close, to shut down
excited, thrilled
interest, keen interest
soldier
the rest, the remainder
maintenance
self-cultivation, character
announcement, proclamation
mathematical formula
fair, just
recognized, acknowledged
to share, to use jointly
in total, adding up to
care, concern
public, common
princess
the public, the masses
public security, police
rooster
to care for, to show loving care
connection, association
prosperous; thriving; flourishing
to care for the elderly; to provide for one's aged parents
all talking at once, many people speaking at the same time, noisy
rather than, better to
protagonist, main character
messy, in disorder
all kinds, diverse and varied
Islam
to recuperate, to rest and recover
the Eight Trigrams (in the Book of Changes)
public affairs, official business
Why learn vocabulary by the 八 radical?
The 八 radical hints at the meaning eight, to divide. 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 15 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 195 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.