gǔn
Radical no. 21 strokes

The radical

Vertical stroke

Memory hook

A vertical stroke passing through

The radical (read gǔn) means vertical stroke. The HSK 3.0 data contains 6 characters and 87 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.

Practise the 丨 radical

Study this radical's 87 words with flashcards or a quiz.

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

Characters with the 丨 radical

6 characters

HSK 1· 2 characters

HSK 1

(general measure word)

zhōng

center; middle; within

HSK 3· 1 characters

HSK 3

fēng

abundant, plentiful

HSK 4· 1 characters

HSK 4

lín

to face, to confront

HSK 6· 1 characters

HSK 6

chuàn

skewer, string

HSK 7-9· 1 characters

HSK 7-9

girl

Vocabulary with the 丨 radical

87 words

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

The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (58/87 words of this radical).

(general measure word)

zhōng

center; middle; within

中午
zhōng

noon; midday

中国
Zhōngguó

China

中学
zhōngxué

secondary school; middle school

中学生
zhōngxuéshēng

secondary school student

中文
zhōngwén

Chinese (language)

中间
zhōngjiān

middle; in the center

个子
zi

height; build

中医
zhōng

traditional Chinese medicine

中小学
zhōngxiǎoxué

primary and secondary schools

中年
zhōngnián

middle age

中心
zhōngxīn

center

中级
zhōng

intermediate level

中餐
zhōngcān

lunch; midday meal

其中
zhōng

among them; of which

心中
xīnzhōng

in one's heart; at heart

个人
rén

individual; person

个性
xìng

personality; individuality

中华民族
zhōnghuámín

the Chinese nation

中部
zhōng

central part; central region

丰富
fēng

rich; abundant; to enrich

初中
chūzhōng

junior high school; lower secondary school

当中
dāngzhōng

in the middle; among

整个
zhěng

whole; entire

集中
zhōng

to concentrate; concentrated

上个月
shànggeyuè

last month

下个月
xiàyuè

next month

个体

individual, single entity

个别
bié

exceptional, isolated

中介
zhōngjiè

agency, intermediary

中奖
zhòngjiǎng

to win a prize

临时
línshí

temporary, makeshift

光临
guānglín

to grace with one's presence

各个

each, every

个儿
gèr

height, size

中央
zhōngyāng

center

中断
zhōngduàn

to be interrupted

中毒
zhòng

poisoning

中秋节
zhōngqiūjié

Mid-Autumn Festival

中药
zhōngyào

traditional Chinese medicine

丰收
fēngshōu

bumper harvest

之中
zhīzhōng

within, among

从中
cóngzhōng

from within

中华
zhōnghuá

Zhonghua (a formal alternative name for China)

中外
zhōngwài

China and abroad, Chinese and foreign

中期
zhōng

mid-term, medium-term

中等
zhōngděng

medium, moderate

chuàn

skewer, string

一个劲儿
jìnr

continuously, without stopping

一连串
liánchuàn

a series, a string

个头儿
tóur

size, build, stature (of a person or thing)

个案
gè'àn

individual case, isolated incident

丫头
tou

girl, little girl

中国画
zhōngguóhuà

Chinese painting (a traditional Chinese art form)

中型
zhōngxíng

medium-sized, of medium dimensions

中庸
zhōngyōng

the golden mean, moderation

中性
zhōngxìng

neutral, impartial

Why learn vocabulary by the 丨 radical?

The 丨 radical hints at the meaning vertical stroke. 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 6 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 87 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.

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