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:
十
JLPT HSK 1
ten, 10
shí
十

Two crossed arms (with five fingers each) means ten.  
什
JLPT HSK 1
miscellaneous, what, ten in calculations, assorted
shén, shí
亻 十
Left: person 亻/人, right: ten 十
Ten persons are miscellaneous.  
午
JLPT HSK 1
noon, 7th earthly branch
wǔ
午 十

Image of a pestle (handle at the top), that hits the mortar in the middle, like: 'noon' is the middle of the day.  
事
JLPT HSK 2
affair, matter, thing, item, work
shì
亅 口 十
From top: ten 十, mouth 口, hand /彐
Ten mouths and only one hand: What an affair!  
真
JLPT HSK 2
really, truly, indeed, genuine
zhēn
十 真 具
Top: ten 十, bottom: tool 具 (The eye 目 sees on the table a tool.)
What is seen by ten 十 eyes 目 on the table is truely real.  
卖
JLPT HSK 2
to sell, to betray
mài
十 卖 乛 头
From top: ten 十, a cap 乛, leader/head 头 (= the big 大 one with protruding eyes 丶)
(together with: to buy 买, which shows that leader 头 with the cap 乛) This cap 乛 is what the leader 头 has bought 买, but for 10 十 (coins) he wants to sell 卖 it.  
妻
JLPT HSK 2
wife, to marry off (a daughter)
qī, qì
十 女
From top: ten 十, hand /彐, woman 女
(very hardworking) The ten-handed woman: that's my wife.  
南
JLPT HSK 3
south
nán
南 十
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 十 Yen ¥ to have the entrance of the tent 冂 directed towards the south.  
单
JLPT HSK 3
single, individual, only, bill, list
chán, dān, shàn
单 丷 日 十
From top: coming out 丷 (here: rays or shine), sun 日, ten 十
It shines the sun in a group of ten (with nine planets, including Pluto) as the single one.  
直
JLPT HSK 3
straight, fair and reasonable, frank
zhí
直 且 目 十
Top: ten 十, below: eye 目 and a base line __
Ten eyes watch the base line which is straight.  
半
JLPT HSK 3
half, semi-
bàn
半 十
A birthday cake 二, two candles 丷 and a knife 丨
The birthday cake with two candles is cut with a knife into: half.  
叶
JLPT HSK 4
leaf (of a plant), page
yè
口 十
Left: mouth 口 (here: picture of a leaf), right: was traditionally: 葉, but now: 十, as a tree 木 with: tree crown 一, tree trunk 丨 but without roots 八
A leaf 口 of the tree crown 一, stands for: Leaves.  
博
JLPT HSK 4
extensive, gains, rich, obtain, to win, plentiful
bó
十 尃 甫 寸
Left: ten 十, right: announce 尃 (from top: just now 甫, skillful hand 寸) Here cf. shoulder 膊, thus the body part 月/肉, that somehow looks like the upper body 甫 with that skillful hand 寸
(Together we are stronger:) Tenfold shoulders (together) and skillful hands can achieve extensive gains.  
毕
JLPT HSK 4
graduation, to finish, to complete
bì
比 十
Top: compare 比 (image of sitting persons), below: ten 十
(graduation party) If you sit down in a group of ten, then after the graduation.  
针
JLPT HSK 4
needle, pin, injection
zhēn
金 十
Left: metal 钅(=金 Covered in the ground 土 are 2 gold nuggets 丷), right: ten 十 (here: needle 丨 with a thread 一)
Made of metal is this needle.  
质
JLPT HSK 4
character, nature, pawn, pledge
zhì
厂 十 贝
Outside: cliff 厂, inside: ten 十, shell, money 贝/貝 (= cone-shell 目 with two feelers 八 = shell-money)
At the cliff the ten shells have the (same) character and serve as a pawn.  
计
JLPT HSK 4
to calculate, to compute, to count
jì
讠 十
Left: word 讠/言 (sound waves out of a mouth 口), right: ten 十
The words in groups of ten shall be calculated.  
汁
JLPT HSK 4
juice, gravy, sauce
zhī
氵 十 录
Left: water 氵, right: ten 十 (simplified from 录 - cf. green 绿 where plant fibers 纟 are pressed by hand 彐 and green liquid 水 drips down.)
The water that drops down from the pressing hand is: juice.  
裁
JLPT HSK 5
to cut out (as a dress), trim, reduce, decision, judgment
cái
十 戎 戈 衣
Top: ten 十, halberd 戈, bottom: clothes 衤/衣
For ten layers of clothes we use a halberd to cut it out.  
盾
JLPT HSK 5
shield, contradiction
dùn
盾 厂 十 目
Left: shield 厂, right: ten 十, eye 目
A shield with 10 eyes as symbol for 'shield' and to contradiction.  
华
JLPT HSK 5
magnificent, splendid, flowery, abbr. for China
huá, huà
化 十
Top: change 化 to beautiful, as at a flower 花, bottom: ten 十
The change makes it tenfold more beautiful and magnificent, like China.  
雄
JLPT HSK 5
male, imposing, powerful
xióng
十 厶 隹
Left: upper arm 厷 (ten 十, nose 厶), right: bird 隹
The ten-noses-bird is the male and the female 雌 is the stop-and-sit-bird.  
宏
JLPT HSK 6
magnificent, great, imposing, macro-
hóng
宀 十 厶
Top: roof 宀, below: upper arm 厷 (here: ten 十, nose 厶)
If the roof covers ten noses, it is magnificent.  
卓
JLPT HSK 6
outstanding, excellent
zhuó
卜 十 占 卓 早
Top: divination 卜/占 (crack 卜 in the shell of a turtle used for divination), below: early/fast 早
[before the day happens:] A divination at the early morning is: excellent.  
贼
JLPT HSK 6
thief, traitor, wily, deceitful, evil
zéi
贝 戎 十 戈
Left: money 贝/貝, right: military 戎 (Ten 十 halberds 戈 for the military.)
Whoever takes money by force (=military-like) is a thief.  
卑
JLPT HSK 6
vulgar, low, base, inferior, humble
bēi
卑 十
From top: accent ノ, field 田 (unclean drawn), ten 十
I emphasize ノ that such an unclean field is tenfold vulgar.  
哗
JLPT HSK 6
clamor, noise, crashing sound
huā, huá
口 化 十
Left: mouth 口, right: magnificent, flowery 华 (The change 化 makes it tenfold 十 as magnificent)
It comes out of the mouth "magnificently", this is: clamor.  
协
JLPT HSK 6
assist, to help, cooperate
xié
十 办
Left: ten 十, right: deal with/manage 办 (simplified from 協 =3x force, so the lateral strokes 丶 are further forces)
We have ten times three forces: to assist.  
鄙
JLPT HSK 6
rustic, low, base, mean, to despise, to scorn
bǐ
十 回 ⻏
Left: 啚 (mouth 口, ten 十, revolve, return 回), right: village⻏
The mouth is ten times revolved in the village and this appears: rustic and mean.  
绒
JLPT HSK 6
woolen, velvet, silk
róng
糸 戎 十 戈
Left: thread 纟/糸, right: military 戎 (... with the 十 [men] with halberds 戈)
The threads (= uniforms) at the military are woolen.  
嗦
JLPT HSK 6
suck
suō
口 十 冖 糸
Left: mouth 口, right: 索 (ten 十, cover 冖, thread 糸)
The mouth does this tenfold through a cover 冖 with a straw (= thread-like), to: suck.  
循
JLPT HSK 6
to follow, to adhere to, to abide by
xún
彳 盾 厂 十 目
Left: go 彳, right: shield 盾 (A shield 厂 with 10 十 eyes 目 as symbol for 'shield' and to contradiction.)
When you go with your shield (= your troops): you follow.  
悖
JLPT no HSK
to go against, to be contrary to, perverse, rebellious
bèi
忄 十 冖 子
Left: feelings 忄, right: comet 孛 (It crosses 十 the orbits of the planets in the firmament 冖 and is (small as a) child 子)
(It does not follow a planetary orbit:) The feeling with a comet that it: goes against.  
戎
JLPT no HSK
military, army (matters)
róng
十 戈 戎
Left: ten 十, right: halberd 戈 [cf. garrison 戍 = a person 人 with a halberd 戈]
The ten (men) with halberds are at the: military.  
遁
JLPT no HSK
to evade, to flee, hide, to conceal oneself
dùn
辶 盾 厂 十 目
Left: movement 辶, right: shield 盾 (A shield 厂 with 10 十 eyes 目 as symbol for 'shield' and to contradiction.)
Who uses a shield at the movement, evades (the fight) and flees.  
卒
JLPT no HSK
soldier, servant, abrupt, sudden, to finish, to die
cù, zú
卒 亠 十
From top: rotary disc 亠, two persons 人, rotary disc 十
Between two rotary discs persons are squeezed who are soldiers, who die suddenly.  
桦
JLPT no HSK
birch tree, Betula japonica
huà
木 化 十
Left: tree 木, right: magnificent, flowery 华 (The change 化 makes it tenfold 十 as magnificent)
(The bark and sap are usable:) This tree is magnificent, the: birch.  

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