川
The 川 radical
River, stream
Variants: 巛
Memory hook
Three streams flowing side by side
The 川 radical (read chuān) means river, stream. The HSK 3.0 data contains 3 characters and 3 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 川 radical
Practise the 3 characters carrying the 川 radical in correct stroke order: watch, trace, then write from memory.
Characters with the 川 radical
3 charactersHSK 7-9· 3 characters
HSK 7-9川
river; a river
州
state, province (an administrative unit)
巢
nest; lair (of a bird or beast)
Vocabulary with the 川 radical
3 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 川 radical, ordered by HSK level.
mountains and rivers; natural scenery
flowing endlessly, in a continuous stream
bird's nest
At least 4 words are needed to practise.
Why learn vocabulary by the 川 radical?
The 川 radical hints at the meaning river, stream. 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 3 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 3 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.