The Chinese Radical: 土


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Meaning
earth, ground    土

Explanation Pay attention to the length of the upper line. If it is longer, it means scholar 士.

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

Top: earth, ground 土, bottom: nose 厶 (Image of a nose in side view)
When the nose is below the ground, it has gone away.
HSK 1
to sit, to take (a seat/a bus), bear fruit
zuò
Two people 人 on the earth/ground 土
Two people on the ground: they are sitting.
HSK 1
lump (of earth), chunk, piece
kuài
Left: earth 土, right: 夬 (a person 人 with a backpack コ)
(You can only transport a little in this way:) The earth in the person's backpack is just a lump.
HSK 2
to walk, to go, to move (a vehicle)
zǒu
At top: earth 土, bottom: variation of a foot 足 (= kneecap 口 and footprint 止)
On the earth the feet have to walk.
HSK 2
place, open space, stage
chǎng
Left: earth 土, right: simplified from 'easy' 易 (= The sun 日 with warming sun shine 勿 makes it easy)
The earth warmed by the sun with its shine, that's my: place.
HSK 3
border, boundary, place, circumstances
jìng
Left: earth 土, right: actually 竟 (standing 立, sun 日 and legs 儿)
The earth remains standing, while the sun continues to go: We are at the border.
HSK 3
ground, place, land (adverbial particle)
de, dì
Left: earth 土, right: also/too 也 (shows a twisting creature, i.e. a snake or scorpion)
The earth is for snakes its: ground or place.
HSK 3
bad, to break down, spoiled
huài
Left: earth/ground 土, right: not 不 (Four strokes are not enough!)
If sth. is on the ground, where it should not be, it is: bad and/or broken.
HSK 3
city walls, city, town
chéng
Left: earth/ground 土, right: achieve, succeed 成 (In the direction 方 of the halberd 戈 we will achieve it.)
Made of earth and for achieving (a city): The city wall.
HSK 4
to press, to push down, pressure, to keep under (control)
yā, yà
Cliff 厂 and earth 土 with emphasis 丶
At the cliff it affects the emphasized earth: The pressure.
HSK 4
society, association, group, club, agency
shè
Left: to show/altar 礻(=示 image of an altar 丁 with a sacrifice 一 and dripping blood 八), right: earth 土
He shows (points) to this earth. Here we found our society.
HSK 4
happiness, fortunate, lucky, trusted
xìng
From top: earth 土, two drops 丶丶 and mirrored earth 干 (or variation of sheep: 羊)
Between two earths is the happiness.
HSK 4
foundation, base, basic

Top: image of a grain shovel/scoop 其 (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 土
The grain scoop has an earthen foundation.
HSK 4
stomach, abdomen, tripe, belly
dǔ, dù
Left: body part 月/肉, right: earth 土
The part of the body (or viscera), which (in cattle) is located at the bottom (= near the ground), is the stomach.
HSK 4
address, location, site
zhǐ
Left: earth 土, right: to stop 止 (footprint of a right foot that stops at a line 一)
The 'earth' where I stop, is my address.
HSK 4
to increase, to expand, to add
zēng
Left: earth 土, right: formerly 曾/曽 (At rain 丷 on the field 田 as under the sun 日, that's how we worked formerly.)
(Now we have soil erosion. But:) The earth formerly: increased.
HSK 4
salt
yán
Top: 圤 (earth 土, fortune telling 卜 also understood as a branching), bottom: bowl 皿
From earth it can be separated (branched off) and collected in a bowl: salt.
HSK 4
to fill or stuff, to fill in (a form)
tián
Left: earth 土, right: really, truly 真 (What is seen by ten 十 eyes 目 on the table is truely real.) [tool 具 = The eye 目 sees on the table a tool 具]
(uneven ground is not good) The earth is only real, when it is filled up.
HSK 4
to model (a figure) in clay

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

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

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

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


A cross 十 stands on the earth 一.
HSK 5
region, zone, area, field, domain (taxonomy)

Left: earth 土, right: maybe 或 (halberd 戈, below: outline 口 of a field with marked border line 一)
Earth and fields are divided 一 by halberds into regions and zones.
HSK 5
wall
qiáng
Left: earth 土, right: stingy 啬 (Variant of squeeze in 夹 [to squeeze 夹 = A husband 夫 between two persons 丷 (= 2x 人; cf: 薔) is squeezed] and return/revolve 回)
The earth is squeezing you in and revolving: at the wall.
HSK 5
average, equal, even, all, uniform
jūn
Left: earth 土, right: ladle 勺 with a bit more 丶ノ in it
The earth in the ladle is in the average.
HSK 5
pile, heap, stack, mass, to pile up
duī
Left: earth 土, right: bird 隹
(never directly on the bare ground) The earth, on which a bird is sitting, is piled up.
HSK 5
wall, rampart

Top: anal penetration, torture 辟 (buttock from the side 尸, anus 口, needle 辛 as symbol for penetration or torture), bottom: earth 土
Anal penetration on the earth, but behind a wall.
HSK 5
to vomit, to throw up, to spit
tǔ, tù
Left: mouth 口, right: earth/ground 土
From his mouth to the ground he disgorged the vomit.
HSK 5
form, model, type (e.g. blood type)
xíng
Top: punishment 刑 (who openly 开 [=gate at temple] uses his knife刂 is punished.), earth: 土
Use an open knife and earth (=clay) to form a model.
HSK 5
dust, dirt, earth
chén
Top: small 小, bottom: earth 土
The 'small earth' is the dust.
HSK 5
flat, open-hearted, smooth, level
tǎn
Left: earth 土, right: sun rise 旦 (The sun 日 is just above the horizon 一)
The earth at the sunrise appears flat.
HSK 5
dyke, embankment, pool or pond, hot-water bathing pool
táng
广
Left: earth 土, right: Tang dynasty 唐 (In the building 广 the hand with pestle 丨 and mortar 口 during Tang)
If by earth a "building" is made by hand as a surrounding mouth, it is a: dyke (embarkment) for a pond.
HSK 5
to cultivate, to grow, educate
péi
Left: earth 土, right: spit 咅 (stand 立 with open mouth 口 and spit)
On the earth it was spit and we started cultivating.
HSK 6
earthen jar, altar
tán
Left: earth 土, right: cloud 云 (It can drip from both 二, namely from noses 厶 or: clouds)
Use earth (=clay) and (water from the) cloud to you make a jar.
HSK 6
to endure, bear, may, can
kān
Left: earth 土, right: extraordinary, extreme 甚 (A grain shovel 其 with an extra angle makes it very extraordinary)
Earth shows extreme endurance.
HSK 6
grave, tomb, mausoleum

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

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

Top: black 黒 (The underside of the cooking pot 里 is stained by fire 灬 black), below: earth 土
Black earth is used: for ink.
HSK 6
to block, to stuff, to squeeze in, obstruct, Serbian
sāi, sài, sè
From top: roof 宀, a well 井, var. of six 六, earth 土
Despite the roof, the well was already six-times filled with earth and thus blocked/obstructed.
HSK 6
castle, position of defense, earthwork, stronghold
bǎo, bǔ, pù
Top: protect 保 (A person 亻builds fence 口 over tree 木 to protect it.), bottom: earth 土
For the protection you use earth when building: a castle.
HSK 6
border, boundary
jiāng
Left: bow 弓 and earth 土, right: 畺 (Three 三 border lines between fields 田)
With a bow I guard the earth at the border lines: of the border.
HSK 6
slope, sloping, slanted

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Left: eye 目, right: 坴 (eight 八, 2 x land 土)
The view on all that land is friendly and harmonious.
no HSK
the steps to the throne

Left: hill 阝, right: 坒 (compare 比 [= compare the two sitting persons 匕], earth 土)
Like a hill in proportion to the earth is his majesty on the throne.
no HSK
to collapse, to break or wear down, to defeat
kuǎ
Left: earth 土, right: boast 夸 (With part of jaw 咢 [=two teeth 口, tongue 一, lower jaw 丂], such that your big/extreme 太 jaw 丂 is boasting.)
Down to the earth falls the one who boasted, when collapsing.
no HSK
a plain, unit of area equal to 3.3 square meters
píng
Left: earth/ground 土, right: flat/plain 平
The ground has to be flat to measure one 'Píng'.
no HSK
rampart, barrier, base (in baseball)
lěi
Traditionally 壘, which shows three fields 田 above the earth 土. Now top part simplified to: nose 厶
Like three fields (now: "noses") the earth serves (piled): as a rampart.
no HSK
bumpy, hole, pit, threshold, snare
kǎn
Left: earth 土, right: lack 欠 (A yawning person 人 is lacking sth.)
If earth is lacking, it becomes: bumpy.
no HSK
receiving, symbolizing earth, female principle ☷
kūn
Left: earth 土, right: to explain, to say 申 (A mouth 口 with a big "plus" + for the outgoing surplus when explaining.)
The earth says, that it is: receiving. (= female)
no HSK
wall, city wall
yuán
Left: earth 土, right: to extend wholly 亘 (from sunrise to sunset 亘 [=the sun 日 above 旦 and below the horizon 一])
The earth must (be piled) from sunrise to sunset to get: a wall. (Or: The earth must extend wholly [without flaws] as: city wall)
no HSK
dust, dirt, Ångström (=10^-10 m), Egypt
āi
Left: earth 土, right: end-particle 矣 (If the nose 厶 is hit by the arrow 矢, it is the end) [here: 厶 as arrowhead]
The earth is hit by the head 厶 of the arrow and turns into: dust.
no HSK
(of a bird, animal or plant) male, key, hills

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

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

Left: earth 土, 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.
no HSK
dirt, disgrace
gòu
Left: earth 土, right: empress, behind 后 (Originates in the custom that the empress followed behind the emperor. shows: buttocks 尸 with anus 口 for: "behind": The one following 'behind' is the empress.)
What comes to the ground from the buttocks' anus, is: dirt.
no HSK
drainage ditch, furrow in field
zhèn
Left: earth 土, right: river 川
In the earth is this "river": A drainage ditch.
no HSK
moat around a city
qiàn
Top: chop 斩 (The vehicle 車 was chopped by an axe 斤.), bottom: earth 土
When 'chopping' the earth, you get: a moat.
no HSK
wharf, port, pier

Left: earth 土, right: mound, abundant 阜 (Of such buttocks you need ten 十 to pile up a mound)
Earth as a mound at the: wharf.
no HSK
dam, embankment, dike, bank, weir
yàn
Left: earth 土, right: 匽 (frame 匚, sun 日 (here: simplified field 田), woman 女)
The earth that (protects) as a frame the (simplified) fields and the women is: a dam.
no HSK
collapse
tān
Left: earth 土, right: red, pellet 丹
At the earth (= the shore) is a broken 丹 boat 舟, because it collapsed.
no HSK
jade tablet
guī

Twice earth on top of each other 圭 as the image of a tablet. The radical has the meaning: piled earth
no HSK
block, gate pillar, pier, classifier for clusters of plants
dūn
Left: earth 土, right: kind-hearted 敦 (enjoy 享 [= The tall 高 child 子 enjoys], to strike 攵)
If the earth is piled like a big child with strokes, it became a: gate pillar.
no HSK
crossroads, thoroughfare
kuí
Left: movement 辶, right: 坴 (2x earth 土, in the middle: two ways 八)
For the movement on two ways between twice 'earths' [hills?], there is: a crossing.
no HSK
unburnt earthenware, blank, semifinished product

Left: earth 土, right: grand, great 丕 (Between two 二 boundaries something small 小 can be: great.)
From the earth (=clay) sth. small 小 is made in the mold 二 - It is the: blank (= unburnt earthenware).
no HSK
stubble land after crop has been taken, an opportunity
chá
Top: plant 艹, bottom: to exist, (located) at 在 (The talents 才 on earth 土 exist in doing ...) [talent 才 = when the big man 大 balances on one foot.]
(New) plants can exist here: on the stubble land.
no HSK
private tutorage
shú
Top: who, which 孰 (enjoy 享 [The tall 高 child 子 is enjoying.]; round, bead 丸), bottom: earth 土
Big 高 children 子 sit in a round on the earth at a private school.
no HSK
uneven (path), unfortunate (in life)

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

Top: 㕡 (Upper left resembles: cavity,hole 穴 and valley 谷 with other elements showing a channel itself) and hand 又), bottom: earth 土
(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.
no HSK
Used in Ōsaka 大坂 (jpn. city), hill
dà, bǎn
Left: earth 土, right: opposition 反 (Climbing the cliff 厂 by hand 又? I am opposing)
The earth is the opposite of a slope or a hill, where Ōsaka 大坂 is.

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

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