shí
Radical no. 242 strokes

The radical

Ten

Memory hook

Two strokes crossing to make ten

The radical (read shí) means ten. The HSK 3.0 data contains 15 characters and 123 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.

Practise the 十 radical

Study this radical's 123 words with flashcards or a quiz.

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

Characters with the 十 radical

15 characters

HSK 1· 4 characters

HSK 1

shí

ten

noon, midday

bàn

half

nán

south

HSK 2· 3 characters

HSK 2

qiān

thousand

dān

form, slip (bill, list, form)

mài

to sell

HSK 3· 2 characters

HSK 3

shēng

to rise; to go up

huá

splendid, magnificent

HSK 5· 2 characters

HSK 5

xié

to cooperate, to coordinate

broad, abundant

HSK 7-9· 4 characters

HSK 7-9

huì

grass and flowers, flowering plants

bēi

lowly; base

soldier, troop

zhuó

outstanding, eminent

Vocabulary with the 十 radical

123 words

Words containing at least one character with the 十 radical, ordered by HSK level.

The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (58/123 words of this radical).

一半
bàn

half

上午
shàng

morning, forenoon

下午
xià

afternoon

中午
zhōng

noon; midday

shí

ten

午饭
fàn

lunch

bàn

half

半天
bàntiān

half a day

半年
bànnián

half a year, six months

东南
dōngnán

the southeast

十分
shífēn

very; extremely

qiān

thousand

千克
qiān

kilogram (unit of mass)

午睡
shuì

afternoon nap

午餐
cān

lunch

半夜
bàn

midnight

单位
dānwèi

work unit; workplace

mài

to sell

上升
shàngshēng

to rise; to ascend; to go up

中华民族
zhōnghuámín

the Chinese nation

千万
qiānwàn

ten million; countless

shēng

to rise; to go up

华人
huárén

ethnic Chinese (person)

单元
dānyuán

unit (a part of a whole)

南部
nán

southern part; the south

简单
jiǎndān

simple; easy

dān

form, slip (bill, list, form)

单独
dān

alone, by oneself

单纯
dānchún

simple, pure

单调
dāndiào

monotonous, boring

毫升
háoshēng

milliliter (a unit of volume)

买卖
mǎimài

business, trade

十足
shí

complete, full

升高
shēnggāo

to rise, to increase

华语
huá

Chinese language (term for Chinese, common in Southeast Asia)

协议
xié

agreement

协议书
xiéshū

agreement, contract

单一
dān

unitary, singular

南北
nánběi

north and south

南极
nán

South Pole (the southernmost point of the Earth)

中华
zhōnghuá

Zhonghua (a formal alternative name for China)

升值
shēngzhí

to appreciate in value

升学
shēngxué

to advance to a higher level of schooling

升级
shēng

to upgrade

半决赛
bànjuésài

semifinal

协会
xiéhuì

association; society

协助
xiézhù

to assist; to help and cooperate

协商
xiéshāng

to negotiate; to confer

协调
xiétiáo

to coordinate; to harmonize

专卖店
zhuānmàidiàn

specialty store (selling one specific type of goods)

倒卖
dǎomài

to resell, to scalp (usually with a speculative, profiteering nature)

出卖
chūmài

to sell, to put on sale

十字路口
shíkǒu

crossroads, intersection

千军万马
qiānjūnwàn

a vast army; an immense, powerful force

千变万化
qiānbiànwànhuà

Ever-changing, in constant flux.

千家万户
qiānjiāwàn

every household, all families

千方百计
qiānfāngbǎi

by every possible means, in a thousand ways

千钧一发
qiānjūn

Hanging by a thread; an extremely dangerous situation, hanging by a thread.

Why learn vocabulary by the 十 radical?

The 十 radical hints at the meaning ten. 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 15 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 123 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.

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