黍
The 黍 radical
Broomcorn millet
Memory hook
A grain plant 禾 with drooping ears and water 水 — the sticky millet used for brewing. Seen in 黏 (sticky), 黎 (the multitude).
The 黍 radical (read shǔ) means broomcorn millet. The HSK 3.0 data contains 2 characters and 2 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 黍 radical
Practise the 2 characters carrying the 黍 radical in correct stroke order: watch, trace, then write from memory.
Characters with the 黍 radical
2 charactersHSK 7-9· 2 characters
HSK 7-9黎
black (implying a dense crowd of people)
黏
sticky, gluey
Vocabulary with the 黍 radical
2 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 黍 radical, ordered by HSK level.
dawn; daybreak
sticky, gluey
At least 4 words are needed to practise.
Why learn vocabulary by the 黍 radical?
The 黍 radical hints at the meaning broomcorn millet. 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 2 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 2 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.