kǎn
Radical no. 172 strokes

The radical

Pit, receptacle

Memory hook

A pit open at the top. It is the enclosure 囗 without its lid: 出 (to step out of the pit), 凹 (concave), 凸 (convex) — the pair 凹凸 shows its own meaning.

The radical (read kǎn) means pit, receptacle. The HSK 3.0 data contains 7 characters and 118 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.

Practise the 凵 radical

Study this radical's 118 words with flashcards or a quiz.

The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium

Characters with the 凵 radical

7 characters

HSK 1· 1 characters

HSK 1

chū

to go out, to exit

HSK 5· 1 characters

HSK 5

hit, strike

HSK 6· 1 characters

HSK 6

xiōng

fierce; ferocious; brutal

HSK 7-9· 4 characters

HSK 7-9

convex, protruding, uneven

āo

concave; sunken; indented

hán

letter, envelope

záo

to chisel, to bore (to make a hole or shape)

Vocabulary with the 凵 radical

118 words

Words containing at least one character with the 凵 radical, ordered by HSK level.

The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (51/118 words of this radical).

chū

to go out, to exit

出去
chū

to go out

出来
chūlái

to come out

出发
chū

to set off; to depart

出口
chūkǒu

exit

出国
chūguó

to go abroad

出现
chūxiàn

to appear; to emerge

出生
chūshēng

to be born; birth

出租
chū

to rent out; to lease

出租车
chūchē

taxi

出门
chūmén

to go out

出院
chūyuàn

to be discharged from hospital

发出
chū

to emit; to send out; to give off

指出
zhǐchū

to point out; to note

播出
chū

to broadcast; to air (a TV or radio program)

演出
yǎnchū

performance; show; to perform

突出
chū

outstanding; prominent

认出
rènchū

to recognize (someone or something familiar)

退出
tuìchū

to withdraw; to drop out

付出
chū

to pay, to put in (effort)

作出
zuòchū

to make, to carry out

出售
chūshòu

to sell

出席
chū

to attend, to be present

出色
chū

outstanding, excellent

出于
chū

to originate from, due to

出差
chūchāi

to go on a business trip

出汗
chūhàn

to perspire; to sweat

出版
chūbǎn

to publish

射击
shè

to shoot, to fire

打击

to beat, to attack

支出
zhīchū

expenditure, expense

看出
kànchū

to perceive, to notice

输出
shūchū

export

传出
chuánchū

to spread out, to emit, to come out

冲击
chōng

impact, to impact

xiōng

fierce; ferocious; brutal

凶手
xiōngshǒu

murderer; killer

出事
chūshì

to have an accident, to run into trouble

出入
chū

to go in and out; entrance and exit

出动
chūdòng

to set out, to set off

出台
chūtái

to promulgate, to officially announce

出名
chūmíng

to become famous, to gain fame

公函
gōnghán

official letter, official document (from an agency or organization)

凶恶
xiōngè

fierce, vicious

凶残
xiōngcán

ferocious, brutal

凶狠
xiōnghěn

fierce, ruthless

凶猛
xiōngměng

fierce, ferocious

convex, protruding, uneven

凸显
xiǎn

to highlight, to make prominent

āo

concave; sunken; indented

出丑
chūchǒu

to lose face, to make a fool of oneself in public

Why learn vocabulary by the 凵 radical?

The 凵 radical hints at the meaning pit, receptacle. 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 7 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 118 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.

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