工
The 工 radical
Work, tool
Memory hook
A carpenter's set square. From the tool comes the sense of labour and craft: 工作 (work), 巧 (skilful), 巨 (huge).
The 工 radical (read gōng) means work, tool. The HSK 3.0 data contains 7 characters and 77 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 工 radical
Study this radical's 77 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 工 radical
7 charactersHSK 1· 3 characters
HSK 1工
work, occupation
左
left side; the left
差
difference, gap
HSK 3· 1 characters
HSK 3巧
skillful; deft; clever with one's hands
HSK 4· 1 characters
HSK 4巨
huge, enormous
HSK 6· 1 characters
HSK 6巩
to consolidate, solid, firm
HSK 7-9· 1 characters
HSK 7-9巫
sorcerer, witch doctor
Vocabulary with the 工 radical
77 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 工 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (44/77 words of this radical).
worker
work; job
left side; the left
left side; the left
difference, gap
almost; about the same; nearly
to work a part-time job
artificial; man-made; manual labor
to process; processing
employee; staff
industry
tool
factory
time; effort
engineer
wages; salary
engineering project, technical project
chocolate
huge, enormous
handmade, handicraft
skill, technique
to go on a business trip
working day, business day
craftsmanship, manufacturing process
almost, nearly
difference
gap, disparity
division of labor
industry and commerce
clever, ingenious
to consolidate, to make firm
difference, discrepancy
migrant worker, seasonal laborer
cleaner, janitor
a strike
volunteer
well-behaved; obedient
artificial intelligence
deviation, discrepancy
migrant worker
by coincidence, as it happens
to break ground, to start construction
To work one's way through school, working while studying (usually refers to students taking part-time jobs to cover tuition and living costs).
contrast, disparity (between two opposing things)
Why learn vocabulary by the 工 radical?
The 工 radical hints at the meaning work, tool. 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 7 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 77 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.