舌
The 舌 radical
Tongue
Memory hook
A tongue sticking out of the mouth 口. Seen in 舌头 (tongue), 舔 (to lick), 甜 (sweet — the tongue tasting sweetness).
The 舌 radical (read shé) means tongue. The HSK 3.0 data contains 4 characters and 11 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 舌 radical
Study this radical's 11 words with flashcards or a quiz.
Characters with the 舌 radical
4 charactersHSK 2· 1 characters
HSK 2舒
comfortable
HSK 5· 1 characters
HSK 5舍
house, dwelling
HSK 6· 1 characters
HSK 6舌
tongue (organ in the mouth)
HSK 7-9· 1 characters
HSK 7-9舔
to lick
Vocabulary with the 舌 radical
11 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 舌 radical, ordered by HSK level.
comfortable
comfortable
dormitory
to be reluctant to part with
to be willing to give up, to be ready to part with
tongue
all talking at once, many people speaking at the same time, noisy
Reluctant to part, unwilling to leave (usually of people or memories).
Reluctant to part; unwilling to leave
comfortable, at ease
to lick
Why learn vocabulary by the 舌 radical?
The 舌 radical hints at the meaning tongue. 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 4 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 11 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.