氏
The 氏 radical
Clan, family name
Memory hook
Originally a ladle or a root, borrowed to mean a clan: 姓氏 (surname), 民 (the people — from the same graph).
The 氏 radical (read shì) means clan, family name. The HSK 3.0 data contains 3 characters and 31 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 氏 radical
Study this radical's 31 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 氏 radical
3 charactersHSK 3· 1 characters
HSK 3民
the people
HSK 7-9· 2 characters
HSK 7-9氏
family name, surname
氓
refugees, wandering people
Vocabulary with the 氏 radical
31 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 氏 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (25/31 words of this radical).
the Chinese nation
the people
renminbi; Chinese yuan (CNY)
citizen
farmer; peasant
ethnic group; nationality; nation
folk; among the people
resident
to immigrate, to migrate; immigrant
national
city resident, citizen
democratic; democracy
migrant worker, seasonal laborer
the will of the people, public opinion
folk music, folk song
people's police
migrant worker
surname (the collective term for the first part of a personal name, indicating the family line)
residential building for inhabitants
civilian, commoner
degree Celsius (unit of temperature)
the public, the people
folk customs
privately run, private
civilian, for civil use
Why learn vocabulary by the 氏 radical?
The 氏 radical hints at the meaning clan, family name. 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 31 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.