The Chinese Radical: 川




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Meaning
river    川

Explanation The water 水 was simplified as three lines and symbolizes the flow of the river.

Used in these characters:
HSK 4
sequence, order, to obey, to follow, favorable
shùn
Left: river 川, right: page, leaf 页/頁 (head 目 with shoulders 八 and eyebrows 一)
Just as the river directs the water, the head gives things the order / sequence.  
HSK 4
to flow, to drift, to disseminate, to circulate
liú
Left: water 氵, right: 㐬 ("newborn baby" as a child turned upside down: the child 子 comes with head first, with amniotic fluid 川)
Water as well as a newborn baby's amniotic fluid is flowing.  
HSK 5
to teach, train, example, pattern, instruction
xùn
Left: word 讠(=言 sound waves out of a mouth 口), right: river 川
The words flow like a whole river, when you teach.  
HSK 6
uncultivated, desolate, shortage, scarce
huāng
Top: plant 艹, below: 巟 (dead 亡 (coffin in cross-section), river 川
The plants die and because of the river it becomes uncultivated.  
HSK 6
nest
cháo
Top: 巛 (hear: three beaks), bottom: fruit, result 果 (here: nest 田 in a tree 木)
Three beaks in a nest in the tree are: a nest.  
HSK 6
river, creek, plain
chuān

Three lines stand for the flow of a river.  
HSK 6
prefecture, state (e.g. of US)
zhōu
Three sandbanks 丶 in a river 川
(They are administrative units within one country) You can get via sandbanks in the river from prefecture to prefecture.  
HSK 6
upright and honest, cheerful, to talk smoothly
kǎn
Left: person 亻, right: mouth 口, river 川
(He talks a lot:) The person with a mouth like a river is: upright and honest.  
no HSK
sulfur (chemistry)
liú
Left: stone 石, right: 㐬 (here as a var. of: 'to flow' 流) (㐬 = newborn baby [character for child 子 upside down = coming with head first], [amniotic] fluid 川)
[melting point 115°C] The stone that can flow is sulfur.  
no HSK
tame, to domesticate, obedient, attain gradually
xún
Left: horse 马/馬, right: river 川
A horse going with you through the river is: tamed.  
no HSK
drainage ditch, furrow in field
zhèn
Left: earth 土, right: river 川
In the earth is this "river": A drainage ditch.  

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

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