音
The 音 radical
Sound
Memory hook
The character 言 (speech) with an extra stroke in the mouth — the voice becoming sound: 音乐 (music), 声音 (sound), 韵 (rhyme).
The 音 radical (read yīn) means sound. The HSK 3.0 data contains 4 characters and 29 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 音 radical
Study this radical's 29 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 音 radical
4 charactersHSK 2· 1 characters
HSK 2音
sound; voice
HSK 3· 1 characters
HSK 3章
chapter (of a book or document)
HSK 4· 1 characters
HSK 4竟
finally, after all
HSK 7-9· 1 characters
HSK 7-9韵
rhyme, meter
Vocabulary with the 音 radical
29 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 音 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (25/29 words of this radical).
sound; noise
pronunciation
music
concert
syllable
to record sound; sound recording
radio
article; essay
in the end, ultimately
pronunciation, phonetics
unexpectedly, to one's surprise, actually
after all, in the end
tape recorder
audio and video, audiovisual
volume, sound intensity
chapter (of a book or document)
To speak eloquently as if composing prose, to be articulate and literary
medal, decoration
seal, stamp
accent; intonation
noise, background noise
disorderly and chaotic, messy and unsystematic
to violate regulations, to break the law
to dub
sound, audio system
Why learn vocabulary by the 音 radical?
The 音 radical hints at the meaning sound. 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 29 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.