The Chinese Radical: 土


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Meaning
earth, ground    土

Explanation

Used in these characters:
JLPT HSK 1
to exist, (located) at, (to be) in, in the middle of doing sth
zài
Outside: var. of talent (If the big man balances on one foot, he is talented.), bottom: earth
The talents on earth exist in being ..
JLPT HSK 1
to go away, to cause, remove, get rid of

Top: earth, ground , bottom: nose (Image of a nose in side view)
When the nose is below the ground, it has gone away.
JLPT HSK 1
to sit, to take (a seat/a bus), bear fruit
zuò
Two people on the earth/ground
Two people on the ground: they are sitting.
JLPT HSK 1
lump (of earth), chunk, piece
kuài
Left: earth , right: (a person with a backpack コ)
(You can only transport a little in this way:) The earth in the person's backpack is just a lump.
JLPT HSK 2
to walk, to go, to move (a vehicle)
zǒu
At top: earth , bottom: variation of a foot (= kneecap and footprint )
On the earth the feet have to walk.
JLPT HSK 2
place, open space, stage
chǎng
Left: earth , right: simplified from 'easy' (= The sun with warming sun shine makes it easy)
The earth warmed by the sun with its shine, that's my: place.
JLPT HSK 3
border, boundary, place, circumstances
jìng
Left: earth , right: actually (standing , sun and legs )
The earth remains standing, while the sun continues to go: We are at the border.
JLPT HSK 3
ground, place, land (advervial particle)
de, dì
Left: earth , right: also/too (shows a twisting creature, i.e. a snake or scorpion)
The earth is for snakes its: ground or place.
JLPT HSK 3
bad, to break down, spoiled
huài
Left: earth/ground , right: not (Four strokes are not enough!)
If sth. is on the ground, where it should not be, it is: bad and/or broken.
JLPT HSK 3
city walls, city, town
chéng
Left: earth/ground , right: achieve, succeed (In the direction of the halberd we will achieve it.)
Made of earth and for achieving (a city): The city wall.
JLPT HSK 4
to press, to push down, pressure, to keep under (control)
yā, yà
Cliff and earth with emphasis
At the cliff it affects the emphasized earth: The pressure.
JLPT HSK 4
society, association, group, club, agency
shè
Left: to show/altar 礻(= image of an altar with a sacrifice and drippling blood ), right: earth
He shows (points) to this earth. Here we found our society.
JLPT HSK 4
happiness, fortunate, lucky, trusted
xìng
From top: earth , two drops and mirrored earth (or variation of sheep: )
Between two earths is the happiness.
JLPT HSK 4
foundation, base, basic

Top: image of a grain shovel/scoop (tool for threshing, that is used for throwing up the grain rhythmically to divide the grain from the husk [thus used in period 期], below: earth
The grain scoop has an earthen foundation.
JLPT HSK 4
stomach, abdomen, tripe, belly
dǔ, dù
Left: body part /, right: earth
The part of the body (or viscera), which (in cattle) is located at the bottom (= near the ground), is the stomach.
JLPT HSK 4
address, location, site
zhǐ
Left: earth , right: to stop (footprint of a right foot that stops at a line )
The 'earth' where I stop, is my address.
JLPT HSK 4
to increase, to expand, to add
zēng
Left: earth , right: formerly /曽 (At rain on the field as under the sun , that's how we worked formerly.)
(Now we have soil erosion. But:) The earth formerly: increased.
JLPT HSK 4
salt
yán
Top: 圤 (earth , fortune telling also understood as a branching), bottom: bowl
From earth it can be separated (branched off) and collected in a bowl: salt.
JLPT HSK 4
to fill or stuff, to fill in (a form)
tián
Left: earth , right: really, truly (The ten eyes see that the table is truely real.) [tool = The eye sees on the table a tool ]
(uneven ground is not good) The earth is only real, when it is filled up.
JLPT HSK 4
to model (a figure) in clay

Top: new moon, 1.day in lunar calendar (The disobedient [=A plant's shoot that grows crooked] moon is not shining at new moon), bottom: earth
At new moon take earth (clay) for modelling.
JLPT HSK 4
wall, to block up, (to feel) suffocated or stifled

Left: earth , right: person (old man on the sun )
"Earth" that is (used against) persons is a wall that blocks and suffocates.
JLPT HSK 4
trash, garbage, of poor quality

Left: earth, ground , right: to stand
It is the ground where it should stand: The trash.
JLPT HSK 4
trash, garbage

Left: earth , right: reach (A hand stretched out to reach something 丿
(If you throw it away:) The ground will be reached by the trash.
JLPT HSK 4
strong, solid, firm, unyielding, resolute
jiān
Top: knife and hand , below: earth
With a knife in my hand I am on the earth: strong and resolute!
JLPT HSK 5
earth, soil, local, indigenous, unsophisticated


A cross stands on the earth .
JLPT HSK 5
region, zone, area, field, domain (taxonomy)

Left: earth , right: maybe (halberd , below: outline of a field with marked border line )
Earth and fields are divided by halberds into regions and zones.
JLPT HSK 5
wall
qiáng
Left: earth , right: stingy (Variant of squeeze in [to squeeze = A husband between two persons (= 2x ; cf: 薔) is squeezed] and return/revolve )
The earth is squeezing you in and revolving: at the wall.
JLPT HSK 5
average, equal, even, all, uniform
jūn
Left: earth , right: ladle with a bit more in it
The earth in the ladle is in the average.
JLPT HSK 5
pile, heap, stack, mass, to pile up
duī
Left: earth , right: bird
(never directly on the bare ground) The earth, on which a bird is sitting, is piled up.
JLPT HSK 5
wall, rampart

Top: anal penetration, torture (buttock from the side , anus , needle as symbol for penetration or torture), bottom: earth
Anal penetration on the earth, but behind a wall.
JLPT HSK 5
to vomit, to throw up, to spit
tǔ, tù
Left: mouth , right: earth/ground
From his mouth to the ground he disgorged the vomit.
JLPT HSK 5
form, model, type (e.g. blood type)
xíng
Top: punishment (who openly [=gate at temple] uses his knife is punished.), earth:
Use an open knife and earth (=clay) to form a model.
JLPT HSK 5
dust, dirt, earth
chén
Top: small , bottom: earth
The 'small earth' is the dust.
JLPT HSK 5
flat, open-hearted, smooth, level
tǎn
Left: earth , right: sun rise (The sun is just above the horizon )
The earth at the sunrise appears flat.
JLPT HSK 5
dyke, embankment, pool or pond, hot-water bathing pool
táng
广
Left: earth , right: Tang dynasty 唐 (In the building 广 the hand with pestle and mortar during Tang)
If by earth a "building" is made by hand as a surrounding mouth, it is a: dyke (embarkment) for a pond.
JLPT HSK 5
to cultivate, to grow, educate
péi
Left: earth , right: spit (stand with open mouth and spit)
On the earth it was spit and we started cultivating.
JLPT HSK 6
earthen jar, altar
tán
Left: earth , right: cloud (It can drip from both , namely from noses or: clouds)
Use earth (=clay) and (water from the) cloud to you make a jar.
JLPT HSK 6
to endure, bear, may, can
kān
Left: earth , right: extraordinary, extreme (A grain shovel with an extra angle makes it very extraordinary)
Earth shows extreme endurance.
JLPT HSK 6
grave, tomb, mausoleum

Top: negative, sunset (The plants are made by the sun to be large [= as long shadows] at sunset.), bottom: earth
Sinking among plants into the earth: into the grave.
JLPT HSK 6
birchleaf pear (tree), to stop, to restrict

Left: tree , right: earth
A tree that is especially depending on the earth is the: pear tree.
JLPT HSK 6
black ink, China ink, Mexico 墨西哥

Top: black 黒 (The underside of the cooking pot is stained by fire black), below: earth
Black earth is used: for ink.
JLPT HSK 6
to block, to stuff, to squeeze in, obstruct, Serbian
sāi, sài, sè
From top: roof , a well , var. of six , earth
Despite the roof, the well was already six-times filled with earth and thus blocked/obstructed.
JLPT HSK 6
castle, position of defense, earthwork, stronghold
bǎo, bǔ, pù
Top: protect (A person builds fence over tree to protect it.), bottom: earth
For the protection you use earth when building: a castle.
JLPT HSK 6
border, boundary
jiāng
Left: bow and earth , right: (Three 三 border lines between fields )
With a bow I guard the earth at the border lines: of the border.
JLPT HSK 6
slope, sloping, slanted

Left: earth , right: skin (A hand with a knife peels off the skin .)
(Here the turf is open) That the ground/earth has a skin, you can see at the slope.
JLPT HSK 6
holy, sacred, divine
shèng
This is understood as "vertical" with a hand vertically above the earth
The hand is vertically over the object when blessing it, thus when making it: 'holy'.
JLPT HSK 6
farmstead, manor, village
zhuāng
广
Left: building 广, below: earth
The building next to earth is: a farmstead.
JLPT HSK 6
to hang (down), droop, dangle, nearly, almost
chuí

A vehicle 車 with a loose tire that hangs down/droops.
JLPT HSK 6
pagoda, tower, stupa

Left: earth , right: (plant , to fit [The lid on the pot ])
Earth must be reinforced with plant fiber in a fitting way, if you want to build a pagoda.
JLPT HSK 6
pit, ditch, tunnel, to defraud
kēng
Left: earth , right: overbearing (Here: the navigator of navigation 航 [= sturdy person with a broad neck] or a pitman)
In the earth is the pitman/miner in a pit / ditch.
JLPT HSK 6
to fall, to drop, to weigh down
zhuì
Top: troops 队 (On the hill the persons are posted as troops), bottom: earth
From the hill the person comes (down) to the earth, because he has fallen down.
JLPT HSK 6
ridge between fields, monopolize, row of crops, grave mound
lǒng
Top: dragon (The emphasized person / has a broken leg with a winding dragon ), bottom:
Like a dragon of earth is the ridge between the fields, which is monopolizing.
JLPT HSK 6
grave, tomb, mound
fén
Left: earth , right: text/language (Image of a folding table for writing a text.)
(Inscription at graveyard:) The earth with the text is: the grave.
JLPT HSK 6
to bury, to blame
mái, mán
Left: earth/ground , right: village (Fields and earth belong to a village)
In the ground at the village they will be buried.
JLPT HSK 6
(main) hall, dining hall
táng
Top: esteem, to value (small , house with a window ), bottom: earth . BETTER: Reinforced roof with additional beams because of the size of a hall on the ground
The reinforced roof for a hall on the ground: The hall!
JLPT HSK 6
soil, earth, to border
rǎng
Left: earth , right: to help, assist (For covering both (=two pieces ) wells with cloth , I need help)
The soil (itself) assists being soil.
JLPT HSK 6
dike, dam, embankment

Left: earth , right: correct (sun , variant of correct )
The earth is correctly (used) for a dike.
JLPT HSK 6
collapse, to fall in ruins

Left: earth , right: sun , feather (here: to fly)
(Icarus and Daedalus) You will come back to earth, when you want (to reach) the sun, and your feathers: collapse.
JLPT HSK 6
mat, mattress, pad, cushion
diàn
Top: grasp, seize (If you get your hand to that small bead you grasp it.), bottom: earth
By hand the beads/pills (are spread) to form: a mattress.
JLPT HSK 6
to degenerate, destroy, to fall, overthrow
duò, huī
Left: hill , right: be, have, exist (I have hand and body , thus I am existing.), below: earth
One hill exists on earth but it is degenerating.
JLPT HSK 6
kitchen stove, furnace
zào
Left: fire , right: earth
The fire on the ground is the kitchen stove.
JLPT HSK 6
mourn, mourning, funeral
sāng, sàng
Top: two bodies in the earth (cf. gold ), bottom: clothes
When the two bodies come into the earth, you wear these clothes: to mourn at the funeral.
JLPT HSK 6
dike, dam, embankment

Left: earth , right: money /貝
You need earth and money for a dike.
JLPT HSK 6
villa
shù
Top: open land 野 (village, home , bestow (The bent person has a nail to give), bottom: earth
A home was bestowed on the earth of our villa.
JLPT HSK 6
ruins, grave, mound

Left: earth , right: void, emptiness (The tiger's hole is void. )[= hollow volcanic vent]
The earth is void when with ruins and graves.
JLPT HSK 6
friendly, harmonious, amicable, peaceful relations

Left: eye , right: 坴 (eight , 2 x land )
The view on all that land is friendly and harmonious.
JLPT no HSK
the steps to the throne

Left: hill , right: 坒 (compare [= compare the two sitting persons ], earth )
Like a hill in proportion to the earth is his majesty on the throne.
JLPT no HSK
to collapse, to break or wear down, to defeat
kuǎ
Left: earth , right: boast (With part of jaw [=two teeth , tongue , lower jaw ], such that your big/extreme jaw is boasting.)
Down to the earth falls the one who boasted, when collapsing.
JLPT no HSK
a plain, unit of area equal to 3.3 square meters
píng
Left: earth/ground , right: flat/plain
The ground has to be flat to measure one 'Píng'.
JLPT no HSK
rampart, barrier, base (in baseball)
lěi
Traditionally 壘, which shows three fields above the earth . Now top part simplified to: nose
Like three fields (now: "noses") the earth serves (piled): as a rampart.
JLPT no HSK
bumpy, hole, pit, threshold, snare
kǎn
Left: earth , right: lack (A yawning person is lacking sth.)
If earth is lacking, it becomes: bumpy.
JLPT no HSK
receiving, symbolizing earth, female principle ☷
kūn
Left: earth , right: to explain, to say (A mouth with a big "plus" + for the outgoing surplus when explaining.)
The earth says, that it is: receiving. (= female)
JLPT no HSK
wall, city wall
yuán
Left: earth , right: to extend wholly (from sunrise to sunset [=the sun above and below the horizon ])
The earth must (be piled) from sunrise to sunset to get: a wall. (Or: The earth must extend wholly [without flaws] as: city wall)
JLPT no HSK
dust, dirt, Ångström (=10^-10 m), Egypt
āi
Left: earth , right: end-particle (If the nose is hit by the arrow , it is the end) [here: as arrowhead]
The earth is hit by the head of the arrow and turns into: dust.
JLPT no HSK
(of a bird, animal or plant) male, key, hills

Left: cow , right: earth
The cow on the ground is male.
JLPT no HSK
to cultivate, to reclaim (land)
kěn
Top: 'not good' ('good' would be , but here the accent is missing, thus 'not good'), bottom: earth
A 'not-good' earth needs to be: cultivated.
JLPT no HSK
air-raid shelter, trench
háo
Left: earth , right: superior, heroic 豪 (The tall pig is superior and heroic)
The earth with the tall pigs is: the trench.
JLPT no HSK
port, pier, wharf

Left: earth , right: just now (A hand for holding an item is what I need just now)
(When on high sea:) The earth, I need just now is: a port.
JLPT no HSK
lane (often in a street name), neighborhood, workshop
fāng
Left: earth/ground , right: direction/square
It's only made of earth and leads in one direction: The lane
JLPT no HSK
dock, entrenchment, bank, low wall

Left: earth , right: bird 乌 (variation of bird 鸟/烏)
(Because this bird can no longer hunt, it hopes for some fish from the fishermen:) On the earth is the eye-less bird sitting on: the dock.
JLPT no HSK
dirt, disgrace
gòu
Left: earth , right: empress, behind 后 (Originates in the custom that the empress followed behind the emperor. shows: buttocks with anus for: "behind": The one following 'behind' is the empress.)
What comes to the ground from the buttocks' anus, is: dirt.
JLPT no HSK
drainage ditch, furrow in field
zhèn
Left: earth , right: river
In the earth is this "river": A drainage ditch.
JLPT no HSK
moat around a city
qiàn
Top: chop (The vehicle 車 was chopped by an axe .), bottom: earth
When 'chopping' the earth, you get: a moat.
JLPT no HSK
wharf, port, pier

Left: earth , right: mound, abundant (Of such buttocks you need ten to pile up a mound)
Earth as a mound at the: wharf.
JLPT no HSK
dam, embankment, dike, bank, weir
yàn
Left: earth , right: 匽 (frame , sun (here: simplified field ), woman )
The earth that (protects) as a frame the (simplified) fields and the women is: a dam.
JLPT no HSK
collapse
tān
Left: earth , right: red, pellet 丹
At the earth (= the shore) is a broken 丹 boat , because it collapsed.
JLPT no HSK
jade tablet
guī

Twice earth on top of each other as the image of a tablet. The radical has the meaning: piled earth
JLPT no HSK
block, gate pillar, pier, classifier for clusters of plants
dūn
Left: earth , right: kind-hearted 敦 (enjoy [= The tall child enjoys], to strike 攵)
If the earth is piled like a big child with strokes, it became a: gate pillar.
JLPT no HSK
crossroads, thoroughfare
kuí
Left: movement , right: 坴 (2x earth , in the middle: two ways )
For the movement on two ways between twice 'earths' [hills?], there is: a crossing.
JLPT no HSK
unburnt earthenware, blank, semifinished product

Left: earth , right: grand, great (Between two boundaries something small can be: great.)
From the earth (=clay) sth. small is made in the mold - It is the: blank (= unburnt earthenware).
JLPT no HSK
stubble land after crop has been taken, an opportunity
chá
Top: plant , bottom: to exist, (located) at 在 (The talents on earth exist in doing ...) [talent = when the big man balances on one foot.]
(New) plants can exist here: on the stubble land.
JLPT no HSK
private tutorage
shú
Top: who, which (enjoy [The tall child is enjoying.]; round, bead ), bottom: earth
Big children sit in a round on the earth at a private school.
JLPT no HSK
uneven (path), unfortunate (in life)

Left: earth , right: be possible, can (The nail into the opening should be possible.)
With the earth it is possible that it is: uneven.
JLPT no HSK
channel, gully, narrow ravine, bed of torrent

Top: 㕡 (Upper left resembles: cavity,hole and valley with other elements showing a channel itself) and hand ), bottom: earth
(So that the water can flow away) A hole for running towards the valley was formed by the hand in the earth as a channel or canal.
JLPT no HSK
Used in Ōsaka 大坂 (jpn. city), hill
dà, bǎn
Left: earth , right: opposition (Climbing the cliff by hand ? I am opposing)
The earth is the opposite of a slope or a hill, where Ōsaka is.

Radicals are shown here that are similar either in appearance or meaning.

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