The Chinese Radical: 寸




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Meaning
skillful hand    寸

Explanation Image of a hand 一 forearm 丨 and pulse 丶. It was originally also the distance of one inch (Length: 1 ts'wun = 3.72 cm) from the hand's palm to the pulse. This also stood for a small amount. In the mnemonic, it is used as "skillful hand".

Used in these characters:
HSK 1
period, time, era, hour, season
shí
Left: sun/day 日, right: skillful hand 寸
A day is divided by a skillful hand into: periods.  
HSK 1
to reply, to answer, to oppose, to face
duì
Left: once again 又 (image of a hand), right: skillful hand 寸
The two hands are opposite, when: replying.  
HSK 1
to thank, apologize, to wither (of flowers)
xiè
Left: word 讠/言 (sound waves out of a mouth 口), right: shoot 射 (The body 身 [is in a lateral position] and has a skillful hand 寸, when shooting)
The words after the shot were thanks (or apologies).  
HSK 2
to obtain, to get, to gain, to catch (a disease), profit
dé, de, děi
Left: go 彳, right top: sunrise 旦 (The sun 日 is just above the horizon 一), below: skillful hand 寸
"The early bird catches the worm": Go at sunrise and with a skillful you will achieve success/profit.  
HSK 2
to pass through, to go across, (experienced action marker)
guò
Left: movement 辶, right: skillful hand 寸
A movement of the skillful hand and you have passed through.  
HSK 3
tree, to plant
shù
Left: tree 木, right: to reply 对 (Once again 又 to give a skillful 寸 answer.) [又 shows a hand]
You need a tree and both hands (this hand 又 and your skillful hand 寸) to plant that tree.  
HSK 3
special, unique, distinguished, unusual

Left: cow 牛 (The head of a cow キ with only one horn ノ), right: temple 寺 (= Made of earth 土 and built with skillful hands 寸)
(Typically smaller animals like sheep or chicken were sacrificed. Thus:) A cow at the temple is sth: special.  
HSK 3
inner layer of garment, underwear, lining
chèn
Left: clothes 衤/衣, right: skillful hand 寸
(For sewing) clothes you need a skillful hand if it is an inner layer or underwear.  
HSK 4
leadership, to guide, transmit, conduct, to direct
dǎo
Top: year of snake 巳 (here: self 己 = Following the windings, I find myself.), bottom: skillful hand 寸
You, yourself, must have a skillful hand for leadership.  
HSK 4
to hand over to, deliver, to pay

Left: person 亻/人, right: skillful hand 寸
A person with a skillful hand, who hands over sth. or pays.  
HSK 4
to ask/demand for, to beg, provoke, invite
tǎo
Left: word 讠/言 (sound waves out of a mouth 口), right: skillful hand 寸
Use words and a skillful hand to ask for sth.  
HSK 4
to seal, letter(=sealed objects), to grant
fēng
Left: piled/cumulated earth 圭 (=2x earth 土), right: skillful hand 寸
(cf. street 街 [= I go 行 over piled earth 圭] - Thus at road construction:) Earth is piled up by skillful hands and sealed.  
HSK 4
extensive, gains, rich, obtain, to win, plentiful

Left: ten 十, right: announce 尃 (from top: just now 甫, skillful hand 寸) [just now 甫 = A hand for holding an item 丶 is what I need 用 just now.]
Tenfold you can make just now with skillful hands extensive gains.  
HSK 4
commander-in-chief (mil.), will, shall
jiāng, jiàng
Left: bed 丬 (pictograph of a tree cut into half, cf. 片), right: hand reaching down 爫, skillful hand 寸
A simple bed, a hand reaching down and a skillful hand: This is what makes a commander.  
HSK 4
honorific, to honor, to respect
zūn
From top: out of 丷, wine mug 酉, skillful hand 寸
When sth. comes out of a wine mug by a skillful hand, it's seen to be: honorific.  
HSK 4
capable of enduring, able to tolerate, patience
nài
Left: beard 而 (closed mouth 一 with a beard 皿), right: skillful hand 寸
(A lot of care-taking is necessary:) A beard needs a skillful hand that has endurance and patience.  
HSK 4
kitchen
chú
Left: cliff 厂 (here: kitchen table), inside: bean 豆, skillful hand 寸
The kitchen table, at which beans are processed with skillful hands, is in: the kitchen.  
HSK 4
shoulder, upper arm

Left: body part 月/肉, right: to announce 尃 (just now 甫 with skillful hand 寸) [A hand for holding an item 丶 is what I need 用 just now] cf. elbow 肘
The body part, that somehow looks like the upper body 甫 and where my 'skillful hand' 寸 is, is the shoulder.  
HSK 5
to shoot, to launch, to allude to
shè
Left: body 身 (side view of a body), right: skillful hand 寸
The body stands laterally and needs a skillful hand, when: shooting.  
HSK 5
village
cūn
Left: tree 木, right: unit of length 寸 (often seen as: "skillful hand"
(Historically a palisade [= a fence] was used as defense around the village) Trees are erected with skillful hands to (protect): the village.  
HSK 5
meager, slight, weak, belittle, to look down on
bó, báo, bò
Top: plant 艹, below: extensive 溥 (The water 氵 announces 尃 that it is extensively widespread) [announce 尃 = right now 甫 with a skillful hand 寸, cf.搏])
When plants are in the water they stay right now and despite skillful hands: meager and weak.  
HSK 5
to hinder, to obstruct, to block
ài
Left: stone 石 (At the cliff 厂 is a stone 口), right: sunrise 旦, skillful hand 寸
(Due to the articular gout) Like a stone is at sunrise my skillful hand: That hinders and obstructs.  
HSK 5
to search, to look for, to seek
xún
Top: hand /彐, below: skillful hand 寸
Use both hands for searching.  
HSK 5
to obey, comply with, to observe, to follow
zūn
Left: movement 辶, right: honorific 尊 (When sth. comes out 丷 of a wine mug 酉 by a skillful hand 寸, it's seen to be: honorific.)
A honorific movement is obedient.  
寿
HSK 5
long life, old age, birthday
shòu
寿
Left: var. of hand 手, right: skillful hand 寸
Two hands congratulate and wish: a long life. (And: Two hands are needed to roll sushi 寿司.)  
HSK 5
to comfort, to console, to reassure
wèi
Top: military officer 尉 (This buttocks 尸 shows 示 his skillful hand 寸 as an officer), bottom: heart 心
An officer with a heart knows how to comfort.  
HSK 5
hat, crown, crest, cap
guān, guàn
Top: cover 冖, bottom: origin/chin.Yuan 元, skillful hand 寸
It's covering, costed many Yuan and is made by a skillful hand: The crown. (or the hat)  
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
to crouch, to squat
dūn
Left: foot 足 (knee cap 口 and footprint 止), right: honorific 尊 (When sth. comes out 丷 of a wine mug 酉 by a skillful hand 寸, it's seen to be: honorific.)
(Making a kowtow?) With your feet you are honorific, if you crouch.  
HSK 6
Buddhist temple, monastery

Top: earth 土, bottom: skillful hand 寸
Use earth and skillful hands to build a temple.  
HSK 6
a unit of length, inch, thumb
cùn
Originally a hand with a pulse; re-interpreted as a: "skillful hand"
From the pulse to the hand it is one Cùn (3,03 cm).  
HSK 6
disgrace, dishonor, humiliation, to insult

Top: early-morning 辰 = image of plowing 辰 (At the field corner 厂 a first line 一 is plowed by the farmer 农), below: skillful hand 寸
He had the plow in his skillful hands which he understood as: disgrace.  
HSK 6
to seize, to take away forcibly, strive for
duó
Top: big 大, bottom: skillful hand 寸
With a big and skillful hand you can seize or strive/compete for sth.  
HSK 6
to chew
jiáo, jué
Left: mouth 口, right: nobility 爵 (A hand 爫 takes the plates 罒(=皿) to serve food 食 skillfully 寸 to the nobility.)
Also the mouths of the nobility chew.  
no HSK
nobility, duke, baron, lord
jué
Top: hand reaching down 爫, net/eye 罒 (here: plate 皿), below: var of food 食, skillful hand 寸
A hand reaches down to the plates to serve food skillfully to the nobility.  
no HSK
to ponder, to speculate, to consider, to guess
cǔn
Left: feelings 忄, right: skillful hand 寸
The feeling in a skillful hand is a: pondering.  
no HSK
elbow, pork shoulder
zhǒu
Left: body part 月/肉, right: skillful hand 寸
The body part, which a 'skillful hand' needs: The elbow.  
no HSK
wardrobe, closet, cabinet
chú
Left: tree 木, right: kitchen 厨 (The kitchen table 厂, at which beans 豆 are processed with skillful hands 寸, is in the kitchen.)
Its made of wood and is in the kitchen: the wardrobe.  
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
cover over, to envelope
dào
寿
Top: long life 寿 (two skillful hands 手 & 寸 are needed for Sushi 寿司 and you will have a long life.), bottom: fire 灬
(Oxygen reduction by a cover causes a slow burning:) A long life has the fire, if it is covered.  
no HSK
military officer
wèi
From left: buttock seen from the side 尸, to show 示, skillful hand 寸
This buttocks shows a skillful hand: that's an officer.  
no HSK
mattress

Left: clothes 衤/衣, right: disgrace, dishonor 辱 (Having the plow 辰 in his skillful hands 寸 he understood as: disgrace.)
For clothes it is a disgrace only serving as: a mattress.  
no HSK
beat, to strike
zhuā
Left: hand 扌, right: to pass through 过 (A movement 辶 of the skillful hand 寸 and you passed through.)
A hand can pass through, if it beats.  

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

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