爪
The 爪 radical
Claw, a grasping hand
Variants: 爫
Memory hook
A hand turned downward to seize something. At the top of a character it flattens into 爫: 爱 (to love), 爬 (to crawl), 采 (to pick).
The 爪 radical (read zhǎo) means claw, a grasping hand. The HSK 3.0 data contains 4 characters and 25 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 爪 radical
Study this radical's 25 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 爪 radical
4 charactersHSK 1· 1 characters
HSK 1爱
to love
HSK 2· 1 characters
HSK 2爬
to crawl
HSK 7-9· 2 characters
HSK 7-9爪
claw, talon
爵
rank of nobility, title
Vocabulary with the 爪 radical
25 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 爪 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (24/25 words of this radical).
to love
hobby
cute; lovely
to crawl
to climb a mountain; to hike
spouse (term used in mainland China)
love (romantic)
to love ardently; to be passionate about
compassion; loving heart
dear, beloved
to love, to be fond of, to adore
patriotic
to cherish, to treasure
romance, be in love
to care for, to show loving care
to favor, to dote on and indulge
beloved, cherished, treasured
to revere and love
claws, talons
to love so much one can't put it down
to cherish; to treasure
indifferent and cold; not bothering to pay any attention
to be concerned about face; to value one's reputation
knight, nobleman
Why learn vocabulary by the 爪 radical?
The 爪 radical hints at the meaning claw, a grasping hand. 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 4 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 25 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.