鼎
The 鼎 radical
Ancient tripod cauldron
Memory hook
A bronze cauldron with two handles and three legs — the treasure that symbolised a dynasty's power: 鼎盛 (at its height), 一言九鼎 (a word as weighty as nine cauldrons).
The 鼎 radical (read dǐng) means ancient tripod cauldron. The HSK 3.0 data contains 1 characters and 1 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 鼎 radical
Practise the 1 characters carrying the 鼎 radical in correct stroke order: watch, trace, then write from memory.
Characters with the 鼎 radical
1 charactersHSK 7-9· 1 characters
HSK 7-9鼎
ding (an ancient tripod cauldron)
Vocabulary with the 鼎 radical
1 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 鼎 radical, ordered by HSK level.
illustrious, very famous, renowned
At least 4 words are needed to practise.
Why learn vocabulary by the 鼎 radical?
The 鼎 radical hints at the meaning ancient tripod cauldron. 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 1 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.