The Chinese Radical: 水




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Meaning
water    水

Explanation

Used in these characters:
HSK 1
water, liquid
shuǐ
(When used as radical: 氵 = Drops of water)
水 is similar to river 川.  
HSK 3
ask for, to beg, seek, look for, request
qiú
Top: cover 亠 (here: one 一 and drop 丶), below: water 水
[I'm dying of thirst:] Just one drop of water, this is my: request!  
HSK 3
ice, to freeze
bīng
Left: ice, frozen 冫, right: water 水
Ice made from water is real ice.  
HSK 4
forever, always, eternally, perpetual
yǒng
Top: accent for emphasis 丶, below: var. of water 水
I emphasize: Water has been forever.  
HSK 4
spring (small stream) spring water, fountain
quán
Top: white 白 (The shine ノ of the sun 日 makes it white.), bottom: water 水
White water from the spring.  
HSK 5
diary, record, to hit, to copy

Top: hand 彐, bottom: liquid 水 (Compare with: green 绿 where a hand /彐 squeezes fiber 纟 and green liquid 水 drops down.)
When the hand squeezes out a liquid this means: 'diary' or 'keeping records'.  
HSK 5
to bear, responsibility, to take charge
chéng
Outside: water 水, middle: child 子, two 二
Two children in the water. Then you bear a responsibility.  
HSK 6
to tread on, to stamp, to press a pedal

Left: foot 足 (knee cap 口 and footprint 止), right: many 沓 (water 水, sun 日 [here: sun 日 as 吕 = stones lying next to each other])
The foot can step into water or if there is a way of aligned stones to: tread on.  
HSK 6
safe, peaceful, most, grand, Thailand
tài
From top: three 三, person 人, water 水
(It can be dangerous to be alone in the water, but:) Three persons in the water feel safe and peaceful.  
HSK 6
violence, sudden, cruel, to show or expose, to injure
bào
From top: sun 日, together 共 (Put the plants 艹 on the table together.), water 水
The sun together with water exposes the violence.  
HSK 6
to contain, to include, culvert
hán
Left: water 氵, right: envelope 函 (container 凵, e.g. jug 乛, water 水)
Water is poured from a jug into the container, which then contains it.  
HSK 6
to steam (cooking), sultry, to evaporate
zhēng
From top: plant 艹, water 水 between two boundaries 二 (= a steaming pot), fire 灬
For (cooking the) plants is this water between the boundaries, when from below the fire heats: the steam.  
no HSK
rescue, save, to raise, to aid, to support
zhěng
Left: hand 扌, right: deputy, assist, rescue 丞 (The strokes at top 乛 and bottom 一 give for the water the channel of (freedom of action) that the deputy has.)
A hand takes you out of the water-channel when rescuing.  
no HSK
tangle of vines, rattan, cane
téng
Top: plant 艹, below: 滕 (body 月, border guard 龹 (person 人 with high lifted arms 丷 and two barrier bars 二), water 水
Plants that pull themselves up on bodies, like raised arms of a security guard and need water are: the climbing vines.  
no HSK
envelope, case, letter
hán
Image of an envelope: 乛, 凵 and variant of water 水
The 'frame', closed with water, is an envelope.  
no HSK
gland
xiàn
Left: body part 月/肉, right: spring/fountain 泉 (... of white 白 water 水)
The body's "springs" are the glands.  
尿
no HSK
to urinate, urine
niào, suī
Left: buttock from the side 尸, below: water 水
The buttock's water is called urine.  
no HSK
deputy, assist
chéng
Top: 氶, (乛, water 水), below: a stroke 一
The strokes at top 乛 and bottom 一 give a channel (= freedom of action) for the water, that has equally a deputy.  
no HSK
rhinoceros, sharp

Outside: buttocks 尸, below: variation of water 水, cow 牛
The buttocks is in the water of this 'cow': the rhinoceros.  
no HSK
broth, serum, starch paste
jiāng, jiàng
Top: bed 丬 at the evening 夕, bottom: water 水
Next to your bed, you start it at the evening with water, so that it becomes (overnight): a broth.  
no HSK
mercury (chemistry)
gǒng
Top: build, work 工, bottom: water 水
It's built like water: mercury.  
no HSK
pump
bèng
Top: stone 石, bottom: water 水
Out of the stones you get the water with a pump.  
no HSK
many, again and again, pile (i.e. of papers)

Top: water 水, bottom: day, sun 日
(Flowing) water and the days come again and again.  
no HSK
Dai (ethnic group)
dǎi
Left: person 亻, right: safe, peaceful, Thailand 泰
The persons who are as three 三 persons 人 by the water are the peaceful 'Dai'.  
no HSK
Teng county in Shandong
téng
Top: We (imperial) 朕 (A body 月/肉 directly from 丷 heaven 天: that's US), bottom: water 水
We are imperial and at the water in: Teng.  

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

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