麻
The 麻 radical
Hemp, flax
Memory hook
Two bundles of hemp bark drying under a shed roof 广 — fibre for weaving; by extension 'numb': 麻烦 (trouble), 麻辣 (numbingly spicy), 芝麻 (sesame).
The 麻 radical (read má) means hemp, flax. The HSK 3.0 data contains 1 characters and 8 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 麻 radical
Study this radical's 8 words with flashcards or a quiz.
Characters with the 麻 radical
1 charactersHSK 3· 1 characters
HSK 3麻
numb (of skin or flesh)
Vocabulary with the 麻 radical
8 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 麻 radical, ordered by HSK level.
trouble; bother
sesame
hemp, jute (plant)
mahjong
numb, apathetic, devoid of feeling
to paralyze, paralysis
spicy and numbing (a pungent spiciness accompanied by a tingling sensation on the tongue)
to anesthetize, anesthesia
Why learn vocabulary by the 麻 radical?
The 麻 radical hints at the meaning hemp, flax. 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 1 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 8 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.