The Chinese Radical: 囗




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Meaning
enclosure    囗

Explanation This radical is enclosing other items. A small square 口 within a character is understood as mouth.

Used in these characters:
HSK 1
country, nation, state, national
guó
Outside: enclosure 口, inside: jade, king 玉 (At the feet of the king 王 is his jade/jewels 丶)
Like an enclosed jewel (jade): That's my country.  
HSK 1
to revolve, to return, to go back
huí

Two squares rotate around a common axis, which represents a rotation and, in particular, a return movement.  
HSK 1
four, 4


Image of a fist with four fingers (without thumb) seen from inside.  
HSK 2
reason, cause, because
yīn
Outside: enclosure 囗, inside: big 大 person
The fence around the big person has its reason.  
HSK 3
land used for growing plants, park
yuán
Outside: frame 囗, inside: yuan, origin 元 (=two 二 legs 儿)
With your garden 囗 you can earn Yuan 元, if you use it for growing plants.  
HSK 3
picture, diagram, drawing, chart

Frame 囗 and inside: Winter: 冬 (With an upturned foot 夂 on the ice 冫- it's winter) [夂 is typically seen as image of sitting cross-legged]
In the frame is a winterly picture.  
HSK 4
to surround, sleepy, tired, distress
kùn
Outside: enclosure 囗 as a fence, inside: tree 木
The fenced tree is surrounded and in distress. (cf. to protect 保 = Even though the person 亻wanted a fence 口 over the tree 木 to protect 保 it.)  
HSK 4
to encircle, to surround, enwrapped
wéi
Left: enclosure 囗, right: soft leather 韦/韋 (Two layers 二 are separated with a special sword 刀 to make leather.)
(Think of a shoe 鞋) It makes it enclosed by leather, to be well encircled.  
HSK 5
hard, strong, solid, undoubtedly

Outside frame 囗, but here: mouth 口, inside: old 古 (= tomb stone). [Some things like the meat of old animals or full-grown vegetable becomes hard with age.]
In the mouth old things taste: hard. [In contrast: In the mouth 口 have young things (= this is "not yet 未") a special taste 味]  
HSK 5
confined, circle, loop, to lock up, surround
juān, juàn, quān
Outside: enclosure 囗, inside: spool 卷 (border guard 龹 [person 人 with high lifted arms 丷 and two barrier bars 二], slumped person 㔾)
In an enclosure a guard secures a slumped person, that is confined.  
HSK 5
regiment, corporation, group, round, circular
tuán
Outside: enclosure 囗, inside: talent 才 (If the big man 大 balances on one foot, he is talented.)
If you have your talents within the enclosure, you form a round regiment.  
HSK 5
round, circle, spherical, full(-moon)
yuán
Outside: enclosure 囗, inside: member 员/員 (Who has a mouth 口 and money 贝/貝 can become a member.)
When the members are within the enclosure, it becomes a round thing.  
HSK 6
to tie together, bundle, a bunch
kǔn
Left: hand 扌, right: surrounded, distress 困 (By the enclosure 囗 the tree 木 is in distress)
The hand "surrounds" sth, if it ties together as a bundle.  
HSK 6
mold, mildew, germ, bacteria, fungus
jūn, jùn
Top: plant 艹, bottom: 囷 (enclosure 囗, rice plant 禾)
Plants enclosed like this rice plant will be affected by mold.  
no HSK
prisoner
qiú
Outside: enclosure 囗, inside: person 人
The person inside the enclosure is a prisoner.  
no HSK
garden, orchard

Outside: enclosure 囗, inside: just now 甫 (A hand for holding an item 丶 is what I need 用 just now)
Within the enclosure, I make just now my gardening.  
no HSK
chimney
cōng
Above: emphasis 丶 (here: image of a chimney), outside: frame 囗 (here: room), inside: turned foot / cross-legged 夂
You sit cross-legged in a room below the chimney.  
no HSK
to brine, salt, stupid, gravy

Above: devine 卜 (Here: handle of a cover), below: Barrel 囗 with something 㐅 in
The lid on the pickle barrel with something that is brined.  

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

At the page you get the memory phrases for learning the Chinese Hanzi. If you are learning the Japanese kanji, please follow this link.



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