The Chinese Radical: 宀




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Meaning
roof    宀

Explanation

Used in these characters:
HSK 1
household, family, businesses, specialist
jiā
Top: a roof 宀, bottom: a pig 豕 (see: 豚)
Under the roof is the pig part of the: household.  
HSK 1
courtyard, institution
yuàn
Left: hill 阝(If this radical is at the left of a character, it means "hill", otherwise: "village"), right: finished/complete: 完 (A roof 宀 needs an origin 元 [= groundwork, seating] to be finished and complete.) [Origin: 元 =two 二 legs 儿]
(An institute needs a lot of space:) The hill is completely used by the: Institute.  
HSK 1
character, letter, symbol, word

Top: roof 宀, bottom: child 子 (.. with an emphasized head 乛, body 丿 and two outstretched arms 一 seeking help.)
Under the roof a child is sitting to study: the characters.  
HSK 1
guest, customer, visitor

At top: roof 宀, bottom: every 各 (With a crossed legs 夂 on a cushion 口 does everybody.)
He sits under the roof cross-legged on a cushion: Our guest!  
HSK 2
it, (used for lifeless things)

Top: roof 宀, below: ladle/spoon 匕
Under the roof the ladle is a lifeless thing, an "it".  
HSK 2
room, apartment
shì
Top: roof 宀, below: to arrive 至 (From the sky 一 an arrow 厶 comes to the earth 土: falling back.)
When I arrive under the roof, I go to my room.  
HSK 2
complete, to finish, whole, entire
wán
Top: roof 宀, bottom: origin, chin. Yuan 元 (two 二 legs 儿)
(A building is complete when it has a roof. Thus:) A roof needs an origin (= groundwork, seating) to be finished and complete.  
HSK 2
appropriate, proper, suitable

Top: roof 宀, below: further/moreover 且 (A pile of stones [= a stone cairn] where moreover stones are added.)
A roof over the pile/stack is appropriate.  
HSK 2
visitor, guest, object (in grammar)
bīn
Top: roof 宀, bottom: soldier 兵 (At the hill 丘 there are eight 八 soldiers.)
(At compulsory billeting) Under your roof a soldier is accommodated as your: guest.  
HSK 3
to damage, to cause trouble to, calamity
hài
From top: roof 宀, growing plant 丰 [cf. abundant 丰], pot 口
Under the roof (of the house) is a growing potted plant, which caused a damage.  
HSK 3
real, fact, true, honest
shí
Top: roof 宀, below: leader 头 (= The big 大 one with protruding eyes 丶)
(Only one master can rule the household) Under a roof is (just) one leader. This is a real fact!  
HSK 3
peaceful, calm, content, safety
ān
Top: roof 宀, below: woman 女
Under the roof, a woman makes it peaceful.  
HSK 3
appearance, look, to hold, to contain
róng
Top: roof 宀, below: valley 谷 (Shows a valley that opens into a plain 口)
The roofs in the valley determine the appearance.  
HSK 3
competition, match, to surpass, to excel sb.
sài
From top: roof 宀, a well 井 and table (or variant of together: 共), Money 贝/貝 (= cone-shell 目 with two feelers 八= shell-money)
Under the roof we (fight) together 共 'doubly 二' for money: in a competition.  
HSK 3
to set, to fix, to determine, to order, surely
dìng
Top: roof 宀, bottom: var. of correct 正 (To stop 止 at the line 一 is correct.)
Under the roof, everything is o.k. if things are set and determined.  
HSK 3
bowl, cup
wǎn
Left: stone 石 (At the cliff 厂 is a stone 口.), right: as if/similar 宛 (When I at home 宀 in the evening 夕 slump 㔾 (e.g. on the TV-coach) it's always just similar)
They are made of stone(ware) and all are similar: The bowls and cups.  
HSK 4
to examine, inspect, to look into
chá
Top: roof 宀, below: sacrifice 祭 (The body 月/肉 is put by hand on the altar 示 as sacrifice)
If a cover (= roof) is over the altar with the sacrificial item, this shall be investigated.  
HSK 4
dense, thick, intimate, close, secret

From top: roof 宀, certainly 必 (The heart 心 is pierced by a lance ノ - certainly!), montain 山
If under the roof is certainly a mountains of ..., then it will be dense and thick.  
HSK 4
cold, poor, to tremble
hán
From top: a roof 宀, a well 井, variant of six 六, variant of ice 冫
Under the roof, the well has six pieces of ice: It's cold!  
HSK 4
to depend, to live (in a house), to lodge

Top: roof 宀, below: strange, odd 奇 = tall/big 大 and possible 可 (The nail 丁 into the opening 口 should be possible.)
Under the roof, there are great possibilities, because you depend on each-other.  
HSK 4
tube, pipe, conduit, control, to care about
guǎn
Top: bamboo 竹, below: government 官 (Under one roof 宀 with connected ノ rooms 吕) (Here: see 官 as two tubes in cross-section in a covered conduit)
Made of bamboo, the tubes are in the conduit.  
HSK 4
rubbing, to wipe, to clean, to polish

Left: hand 扌, right: investigate 察 (When there is a cover 宀 over the sacrificial 祭 item on the alter 示, it is to be investigated.) [sacrifice = 祭 = The body 月/肉 is put by hand on the altar 示 to sacrifice.]
The hand investigates by rubbing.  
HSK 4
to perform, to play, to act, to evolve
yǎn
Left: water 氵, right: 寅 (roof/house 宀, one 一, field 田, eight 八)
The water in the house at the single field is part of the eight performances.  
HSK 4
friendship

Left: word 讠/言, right: appropriate, proper 宜 (A roof 宀 [above the pile 且] in addition 且 is appropriate.)
With words that are appropriate for the friendship.  
HSK 4
wealthy, rich, abundant

Top: roof/house 宀, below: barrel of rice wine 畐 (originally pictograph of a barrel of rice wine as an altar offering; from there: wealth, luck 福)
A house with barrels of wine is wealthy.  
HSK 5
shrink, to withdraw, pull back, abbreviation
suō
Left: thread 纟/糸, right: lodge/hostel 宿 (Under the roof 宀 persons 人 in the hundreds 百 in the lodge.)
The threads (of bed linen) in the hostel will (after washing) shrink.  
HSK 5
official, government, organ of body
guān
Top: roof 宀, below: connected ノ rooms 吕
A roof with connected rooms is: the government.  
HSK 5
disaster, calamity
zāi
Top: roof 宀, bottom: fire 火
Under a roof, a raging fire is a disaster.  
HSK 5
to announce, to declare (publicly), proclaim
xuān
From top: roof 宀, a first sun ray 一, sunrise 旦 (= sun 日 above the horizon 一)
(At sunrise the light first hits high places) At the roof with a first sun ray the sunrise is announced.  
HSK 5
snake, serpent
shé
Left: insect 虫 (The body 口 and the sting 厶 of an insect.), right: it (lifeless) 它 (roof 宀, sitting person 匕)
The 'insect' next to the house with the sitting person is: a snake.  
HSK 5
lonely, solitary, silent

Top: roof, house 宀, below: parent's younger siblings 叔 (left: image of a pepper plant 尗, right: hand 又)
(They are just out harvesting pepper by hand:) The house of my younger uncle is lonely.  
HSK 5
peaceful, rather, better, tranquil
níng
Top: roof 宀, below: nail 丁
(There is no risk that the building might collapse:) When the roof is built with nails, you have peace.  
宿
HSK 5
dormitory, hostel, to lodge, stay at, old, former
sù, xiǔ, xiù
Top: roof 宀, below: 佰 (person 亻/人 and hundred 百 [tilt your head to the right to read 100])
The roof hosting hundred people is a lodge.  
HSK 5
to guard, defend, protect, to observe (rules)
shǒu
Top: roof 宀, below: skillful hand 寸
A roof or a skillful hand can guard.  
HSK 5
honey

Top: 宓 (roof 宀, certainly 必 [The heart 心 is pierced by a lance ノ - certainly!]), bottom: insect 虫
Under the roof are certainly insects for making honey.  
HSK 5
(of a woman) to marry, to shift (blame etc)
jià
Left: woman 女, right: household 家 (Under the roof 宀 with the personal pig 豕)
The woman for the household is the bride.  
HSK 5
a treasure, jewel or gem, precious
bǎo
Top: roof/house 宀, bottom: jade, jewel 玉 (At the feet of the king 王 is his jade/jewels 丶)
Under the roof are jewels: A treasure!  
HSK 5
banquet, feast, repose
yàn
From top: roof 宀, sun 日, woman 女
Under the roof the sunny woman hosts a banquet.  
HSK 5
to reside, to imply, to contain

Top: roof 宀, below: scorpion 禺 (scorpion with carapace 田, insect 虫 with sting 厶 and long legs 冂)
Under the roof even scorpions can reside!  
HSK 5
to love, to pamper, to spoil, to favor
chǒng
Top: roof 宀, bottom: dragon, imperial 龙 (The outstanding (emphasized) 丶 person 尢/尤 has a broken leg 乚 with a winding dragon ノ)
Under your roof, the imperial dragon is what you should love and favor.  
HSK 5
lonely, lonesome

Top: roof 宀, below: negative 莫 (sink, go down: The plants 艹 are made by the sun 日 to be large 大 [= as long shadows] at sunset.)
Behind the roof the sunset happens, and it becomes lonely.  
HSK 5
wide, broad, spacious, lenient
kuān
Top: roof 宀, below: 苋 (plant 艹, see 见/見 (An eye 目 on legs 儿 = looking around)
From the roof, the plants, which I can see are (everywhere): widely and broadly.  
HSK 6
forehead, share, portion, amount
é
Left: guest 客 (Under the roof 宀 is everybody 各 our guest.) [everybody 各 = is sitting cross-legged 夂 on a cushion 口], right: page, leaf 页/頁 (head 目 with shoulders 八 and eyebrows 一)
The guests get by head (or forehead) each their share.  
HSK 6
magnificent, great, imposing, macro-
hóng
Top: roof 宀, below: upper arm 厷 (here: ten 十, nose 厶)
If under the roof, there are ten noses, it is magnificent.  
HSK 6
Religion, school of a teaching, ancestor
zōng
Top: roof 宀, bottom: to show 示 (altar 丁 on which something 一 can be seen)
The 'roof' over the altar is the religion.  
HSK 6
residence
zhái
Top: roof/house 宀, below: plant 乇 with roots
The house with the rooted plant is my residence.  
HSK 6
universe, cosmos, space

Top: roof 宀, below: in,on,at 于 (similar to umbrella (cf.伞), I having in,on,at me. - Or with a handle 亅 and keeps 干 dry)
A roof that is like an umbrella is the universe.  
HSK 6
statute, constitution
xiàn
Top: roof 宀, below: in advance, first 先 (A cow 牛 with only two legs 儿 walks preceding.)
When being under a roof, you first need a statute.  
HSK 6
hole, cave, cavity, acupuncture point
xué
Top: roof 宀, below: eight 八 or the image of an entrance
It is covered and a narrowing path leads into: the cave.  
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
to investigate, to examine, carefully, to try (in court)
shěn
Top: roof 宀, below: explain, speak 申 (A mouth 口 with a big "plus" + for the outgoing surplus when explaining.)
Under the roof an object 日 is cut up with a knife 丨 for: investigations.  
HSK 6
to manage, govern, rule, to slaughter livestock
zǎi
Top: roof 宀, below: hot/spicy/bitter 辛 (the image of a needle for tattooing)
Under the roof 'bitterness' is managed.  
HSK 6
to melt, to dissolve, soluble
róng
Left: water 氵, right: appearance 容 (The roofs 宀 in the valley 谷 are an appearance.)
Water comes from the roof into the valley, because it is melting.  
HSK 6
obscure, mysterious, Austria 奥地利
ào
From top: var. of roof 宀, rice 米, big 大
Under the roof, he hides rice in big quantities and this is obscure in Austria.  
HSK 6
palace, castle, temple
gōng
Top: roof 宀, below: two rooms 吕, which stands for many rooms
Under one roof are the (many) rooms in: a palace.  
HSK 6
cage, corral, prison, firm, sturdy
láo
Top: roof 宀, below: cow 牛
The roof serves for the cow as an enclosure, that is firm and sturdy.  
HSK 6
to be surprised, to be astonished
chà
Left: word 讠/言, right: residence 宅 (The roof 宀 with the rooted plant 乇 is my residence.)
His words about the house with the rooted plant surprised me.  
HSK 6
sow grain
jià
Left: rice plant 禾, right: household 家 (Under the roof 宀 is a personal pig 豕)
The rice plants for the household need to be sowed.  
HSK 6
sleep, dormitory, to lie down
qǐn
Top: house 宀, left: bed 丬 (= image of a tree cut into half; cf. 片), right: var. of hand holding a broom 帚
A house with a bed and a broom is where I sleep.  
HSK 6
night
xiāo
Top: house 宀, bottom: alike/resemble 肖 (Small 小 bodies 月 are alike.)
The houses look alike in the night.  
HSK 6
sediment, deposits, precipitate
diàn
Left: water 氵, right: to settle, to fix 定 (Under the roof 宀, everything is correct 正, if things are settled.)
For water that is covered, it is correct (normal) to form a sediment.  
HSK 6
universe, cosmos
zhòu
Top: roof 宀, below: reason/cause 由 (Here: a rocket丨starting from a rice field 田)
Towards 'the roof' the rocket is starting from the field into the universe.  
HSK 6
pleasant, genius and warm
xuān
Left: sun 日, right: announce 宣 (At the roof 宀 [= highest point] with a first sun ray 一 the sunrise 旦 is announced.)
When the sun announces, it becomes pleasant and warm.  
no HSK
coffin
guān
Left: tree 木, right: government 官 (Under one roof 宀 with connected ノ rooms 吕)
They are wooden and below a cover the coffins 吕 are piled.  
no HSK
to store, to save, stockpile
zhù
Left: money 贝/貝, right: roof 宀 and one 一
We need money, because under the roof a stockpile shall be stored.  
no HSK
sound of coughing or vomiting

Left: mouth 口, right: guest 客 (Under the roof 宀 is everybody 各 sitting cross-legged 夂 on a cushion 口 our guest)
His mouth is covering 宀 everybody 各, when: coughing.  
no HSK
wife of father's younger brother
shěn
Left: woman 女, right: to examine, to investigate 审
The woman who talks (very much) under the roof is: this aunt.  
no HSK
court eunuch, imperial official
huàn
Top: roof 宀, bottom: minister 臣 (An eye wide open represents the attentiveness of a minister)
Under the roof is this minister: the eunuch.  
no HSK
few, widowed
guǎ
From top: roof 宀, head/forehead (for person) 頁, divide 分 (with a sword 刀 in 8 八 pieces)
If under the roof there are (further) heads, the part/division for the widow becomes too little.  
no HSK
to smelt, to fuse
róng
Left: fire 火, right: appearance 容 (The houses 宀 in the valley 谷 are an appearance.)
Fire causes the "appearance" of smelting.  
no HSK
just like, as if, winding
wǎn
Top: roof 宀, below: 夗 (evening 夕, slumped Person 㔾)
At home [= under my roof], when I am slumped in the evening (e.g. on the television coach) it's always just the like.  
no HSK
empty, lonesome, very few
liáo
Top: roof 宀, bottom: sound of the wind 翏 (At feather 羽 or the beard 㐱 you feel the wind. [㐱 = person 人 with beard 彡 or warts/measles 彡])
If under the roof, the wind rustles, the building is empty.  
no HSK
to burst open, rend, open seam
zhàn
Left: thread 纟/糸, right: to settle, to determine 定 (Under the roof 宀, everything is correct 正, if things are settled.)
(When the tension becomes too big:) The thread determines when it will burst open.  
no HSK
the Song dynasty (960-1279)
sòng
Top: Roof 宀, below: tree 木
The Song Dynasty as the last of the 5 dynasties had roofs over the trees?  
no HSK
to hunt, to go hunting
shòu
Left: animal 犭, right: protect 守 (A roof 宀 or a skillful hand 寸 can guard)
Animals can for the protection (of the environment) be hunted.  
no HSK
abbr. for Anhui 安徽 province
wǎn
Left: white 白 (The shine ノ of the sun 日 makes it white), right: finished/complete: 完 (A roof 宀 needs an origin 元 (= groundwork, seating) to be finished and complete. [Origin: 元 =two 二 legs 儿]
In white and finished: the Anhui province  
no HSK
bandit, foe, enemy, to invade, to plunder
kòu
Top: roof 宀, bottom: Yuan/money, origin 元, strike 攵/攴 (a hand 又 with a stick 卜)
He comes under your roof, wants your Yuan and strikes: the bandit.  
no HSK
wrist
wàn
Left: bodypart 月/肉, right: as if 宛 (When I at home 宀 in the evening 夕 slump 㔾 (e.g. on the TV-coach) it's always just similar.)
The body part that (hurts), when I am in my home, at the evening (after work) and am slumped, is the: wrist.  
no HSK
stronghold, stockade, camp, village
zhài
From top: roof 宀, a well 井, table , tree 木
For (protecting) our roofs and wells, we use tables and trees to (build) a: stronghold.  
no HSK
year of the tiger, 3-5 a.m.
yín
Above: cover 宀, below: variant of yellow 黄 (Together 共 the fields 田 [in autumn] turn yellow.)
Under the cover (of black stripes) it is somewhat yellow: The tiger.  
no HSK
sound of breaking or snapping
chā
Left: mouth 口, right: investigate 察 (When there is a cover 宀 over the sacrificial 祭 item on the alter 示, it is to be investigated.) [祭 = The body 月/肉 is put by hand on the altar 示 as sacrifice]
The mouth must be investigated if it makes cracking sounds.  
no HSK
to sleep, be asleep
mèi
Top: roof 宀, below: variant of fragment 爿 (here: as a bed 丬), not yet 未 (The upper shorter branch 一 of the tree 木 is "not yet")
Under the roof there is a bed 爿/丬, but I am not yet (ready) to: sleep.  
no HSK
large domain, extensive region
huán
From top: roof 宀, net 网/罒, grief 哀 (about the big hole 口 in the clothes 衣)
It is still covered, but the eye sees that the hole in the clothes already extends over a large domain.  

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

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