瓜
The 瓜 radical
Melon, gourd
Memory hook
A melon hanging between two vines. Seen in 西瓜 (watermelon), 南瓜 (pumpkin), 瓣 (segment).
The 瓜 radical (read guā) means melon, gourd. The HSK 3.0 data contains 2 characters and 8 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 瓜 radical
Study this radical's 8 words with flashcards or a quiz.
Characters with the 瓜 radical
2 charactersHSK 4· 1 characters
HSK 4瓜
melon, gourd
HSK 7-9· 1 characters
HSK 7-9瓣
petal
Vocabulary with the 瓜 radical
8 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 瓜 radical, ordered by HSK level.
melon, gourd
watermelon
cucumber
fool; idiot
pumpkin
to carve up; to partition (territory, property...)
melon seeds (edible seeds used as snacks, such as melon seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds...)
petal
Why learn vocabulary by the 瓜 radical?
The 瓜 radical hints at the meaning melon, gourd. 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 8 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.