隹
The 隹 radical
Short-tailed bird
Memory hook
A short-tailed bird perched on a branch. No longer used alone, but it sits inside many bird characters: 集 (birds gathering in a tree → to gather), 雀 (sparrow), 雁 (wild goose).
The 隹 radical (read zhuī) means short-tailed bird. The HSK 3.0 data contains 8 characters and 71 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 隹 radical
Study this radical's 71 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 隹 radical
8 charactersHSK 1· 1 characters
HSK 1难
difficult, hard
HSK 3· 1 characters
HSK 3集
episode (of a film or book)
HSK 5· 1 characters
HSK 5雄
heroic, mighty
HSK 7-9· 5 characters
HSK 7-9雀
sparrow
雁
wild goose (a wild bird that flies in flocks)
雅
refined, dignified
雇
to hire; to employ (workers)
雕
to carve, to engrave (on wood, stone, etc.)
Vocabulary with the 隹 radical
71 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 隹 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (34/71 words of this radical).
difficult, hard
to feel unwell; to feel uncomfortable
unpleasant to hear
ugly; unsightly
sad
difficult problem; tough question
difficult; difficulty; hardship
difficulty; level of difficulty
could it be that; don't tell me
to concentrate; concentrated
collective; group
hard to avoid, inevitable
to assemble, to gather
embarrassed, awkward
collect
disaster, catastrophe
arduous, difficult
hard to, difficult to
rare, precious
magnificent, grand
conglomerate, group
hard to say, hard to predict
hero
unforgettable, impossible to forget
episode (of a film or book)
not difficult, easy
intersection, to intersect
elegant, graceful
to pose a tough question
to make things difficult, to create obstacles
to convene, to gather together
wild goose (a large migratory bird that flies in flocks)
dense, densely packed, concentrated
to solicit, to recruit, to call for (talent, opinions, etc.)
Why learn vocabulary by the 隹 radical?
The 隹 radical hints at the meaning short-tailed bird. 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 71 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.