玄
The 玄 radical
Deep black, mysterious
Memory hook
A dyed thread hanging in the air, a black with a red sheen too hard to name — hence 'mysterious': 玄妙 (abstruse), 率 (rate).
The 玄 radical (read xuán) means deep black, mysterious. The HSK 3.0 data contains 2 characters and 17 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 玄 radical
Study this radical's 17 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 玄 radical
2 charactersHSK 4· 1 characters
HSK 4率
rate, ratio
HSK 7-9· 1 characters
HSK 7-9玄
profound, mysterious, hard to understand
Vocabulary with the 玄 radical
17 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 玄 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (13/17 words of this radical).
efficiency, work efficiency
exchange rate
to take the lead, to be the first
to lead, to command
probability, chance
interest rate
power, wattage
frank, candid, straightforward
unemployment rate
viewership rating, audience rating
probability
click-through rate
profound, mysterious, hard to understand
Why learn vocabulary by the 玄 radical?
The 玄 radical hints at the meaning deep black, mysterious. 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 2 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 17 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.