The Chinese Radical: 十


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Meaning
ten    十

Explanation Two crossed forearms with 5 fingers each makes ten.

Used in these characters:
JLPT HSK 1
ten, 10
shí

Two crossed arms (with five fingers each) means ten.  
JLPT HSK 1
miscellaneous, what, ten in calculations, assorted
shén, shí
Left: person /, right: ten
Ten persons are miscellaneous.  
JLPT HSK 1
noon, 7th earthly branch


Image of a pestle (handle at the top), that hits the mortar in the middle, like: 'noon' is the middle of the day.  
JLPT HSK 2
really, truly, indeed, genuine
zhēn
Top: ten , bottom: tool (The eye sees on the table a tool.)
The ten eyes see that the table is truely real.  
JLPT HSK 2
to sell, to betray
mài
From top: ten , a cap , leader/head (= the big one with protruding eyes )
(together with: to buy 买, which shows that leader with the cap ) This cap is what the leader has bought 买, but for 10 (coins) he wants to sell it.  
JLPT HSK 2
wife, to marry off (a daughter)
qī, qì
From top: ten , hand /, woman
(very hardworking) The ten-handed woman: that's my wife.  
JLPT HSK 3
south
nán
At a Japanese camping ground it is preferred (and thus more expensive) to have the entrance of the tent directed to the south
It costs ten Yen ¥ to have the entrance of the tent directed towards the south.  
JLPT HSK 3
single, individual, only, bill, list
chán, dān, shàn
From top: coming out (here: rays or shine), sun , ten
It shines the sun in a group of ten (with nine planets, including Pluto) as the single one.  
JLPT HSK 3
straight, fair and reasonable, frank
zhí
Top: ten , below: eye and a base line __
Ten eyes watch the base line which is straight.  
JLPT HSK 3
half, semi-
bàn
A birthday cake , two candles and a knife
The birthday cake with two candles is cut with a knife into: half.  
JLPT HSK 4
leaf (of a plant), page

Left: mouth (= image of a leaf), right: was traditionally: 葉, now: . with: ground , tree trunk and roots
The leaf at the simplified tree stands for: leaves.  
JLPT HSK 4
extensive, gains, rich, obtain, to win, plentiful

Left: ten , right: announce (from top: just now , skillful hand ) [just now = A hand for holding an item is what I need just now.]
Tenfold you can make just now with skillful hands extensive gains.  
JLPT HSK 4
graduation, to finish, to complete

Top: compare (image of sitting persons), below: ten
(graduation party) If you sit down in a group of ten, then after the graduation.  
JLPT HSK 4
needle, pin, injection
zhēn
Left: metal 钅(= Covered in the ground are 2 gold nuggets ), right: ten (here: needle with a thread )
Made of metal is this needle.  
JLPT HSK 4
character, nature, pawn, pledge
zhì
Outside: cliff , inside: ten , shell, money /貝 (= cone-shell with two feelers = shell-money)
At the cliff the ten shells have the (same) character and serve as a pawn.  
JLPT HSK 4
to calculate, to compute, to count

Left: word / (sound waves out of a mouth ), right: ten
The words in groups of ten shall be calculated.  
JLPT HSK 4
juice, gravy, sauce
zhī
Left: water , right: ten (simplified from - cf. green 绿 where plant fibers 纟 are pressed by hand and green liquid drips down.)
The water that drops down from the pressing hand is: juice.  
JLPT HSK 5
to cut out (as a dress), trim, reduce, decision, judgment
cái
Top: ten , halberd , bottom: clothes 衤/
For ten layers of clothes we use a halberd to cut it out.  
JLPT HSK 5
shield, contradiction
dùn
Left: shield , right: ten , eye
A shield with 10 eyes as symbol for 'shield' and to contradiction.  
JLPT HSK 5
magnificent, splendid, flowery, abbr. for China
huá, huà
Top: change to beautiful, as at a flower 花, bottom: ten
The change makes it tenfold more beautiful and magnificent, like China.  
JLPT HSK 5
male, imposing, powerful
xióng
Left: upper arm 厷 (ten , nose ), right: bird
The ten-noses-bird is the male and the female 雌 is the stop-and-sit-bird.  
JLPT HSK 6
magnificent, great, imposing, macro-
hóng
Top: roof , below: upper arm 厷 (here: ten , nose )
If under the roof, there are ten noses, it is magnificent.  
JLPT HSK 6
outstanding, excellent
zhuó
Top: divination / (crack in the shell of a turtle used for divination), below: early/fast
[before the day happens:] A divination at the early morning is: excellent.  
JLPT HSK 6
thief, traitor, wily, deceitful, evil
zéi
Left: money /貝, right: military (Ten halberds for the military.)
Whoever takes money by force (=military-like) is a thief.  
JLPT HSK 6
vulgar, low, base, inferior, humble
bēi
From top: accent , field (unclean drawn), ten
I emphasize that an unclean field is tenfold vulgar.  
JLPT HSK 6
clamor, noise, crashing sound
huā, huá
Left: mouth , right: magnificent, flowery 华 (The change makes it tenfold as magnificent)
It comes out of the mouth "magnificently", this: clamor.  
JLPT HSK 6
assist, to help, cooperate
xié
Left: ten , right: deal with/manage (simplified from 協 =3x force, so the lateral strokes are further forces)
We have ten times three forces: to assist.  
JLPT HSK 6
rustic, low, base, mean, to despise, to scorn

Left: 啚 (mouth , ten , revolve, return ), right: village
The mouth is ten times revolved in the village and this appears: rustic and mean.  
JLPT HSK 6
woolen, velvet, silk
róng
Left: thread 纟/, right: military (... with the [men] with halberds )
The threads (= uniforms) at the military are woolen.  
JLPT HSK 6
suck
suō
Left: mouth , right: 索 (ten , cover , thread )
The mouth can cover from above (tenfold??) and it appears thread-like (when using a drinking-straw?) to suck.  
JLPT HSK 6
to follow, to adhere to, to abide by
xún
Left: go , right: shield (A shield with 10 eyes as symbol for 'shield' and to contradiction.)
When you go with your shield (= your troops): you follow.  
JLPT no HSK
to go against, to be contrary to, perverse, rebellious
bèi
Left: feelings , right: comet 孛 (It crosses the orbits of the planets in the firmament and is (big as a) child )
(It does not follow a planetary orbit:) The feeling with a comet that it: goes against.  
JLPT no HSK
military, army (matters)
róng
Left: ten , right: halberd [cf. garrison = a person with a halberd ]
The ten (men) with halberds are at the: military.  
JLPT no HSK
to evade, to flee, hide, to conceal oneself
dùn
Left: movement , right: shield (A shield with 10 eyes as symbol for 'shield' and to contradiction.)
Who uses a shield at the movement, whats to evade (the fight) and flee.  
JLPT no HSK
soldier, servant, abrupt, sudden, to finish, to die
cù, zú
From top: rotary disc , two persons , rotary disc
Between two rotary discs persons are squeezed who are soldiers, who die suddenly.  
JLPT no HSK
birch tree, Betula japonica
huà
Left: tree , right: magnificent, flowery 华 (The change makes it tenfold as magnificent)
(The bark and sap are usable:) The tree that is magnificent is the birch.  

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

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