The Chinese Radical: 玄




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Meaning
mysterious    玄

Explanation This radical is easy to remember if you think of “magnet 磁” (cf. magnet, porcelain 磁 [cí]), where stones 石 are hanging at strings 糸 (simplified to 幺 and fixed with a bracket 艹) behave mysteriously.

Used in these characters:
HSK 5
rate, ratio, frequency, to lead, usually
lǜ, shuài
From top: rotary disc 亠, thread 糸 (cf. mysterious 玄), four small items 冫, rotary disc 亠
Two rotary turn threads 玄 into smaller items 冫in a certain ratio.  
HSK 6
to nourish, grow, increase, taste

Left: water 氵, right: now, here 兹 (2x mysterious 玄 (part of magnet: 磁, where an upper bracket 艹 holds threads 玄 with hanging stones 石 that are mysterious)
Water is doubly mysterious: It nourishes and lets things grow.  
HSK 6
compassionate, gentle, kind, humane

Top: now/here 兹 (2x mysterious 玄 [turning disc 亠, var. of thread 糸] or variation of magnet 磁 [= the mysterious stone]), below: heart 心
Like a magnet is his heart: so compassionate.  
HSK 6
to store up, to grow (eg. a beard)

Top: plant 艹, bottom: livestock, breeding 畜 (The mysterious 玄 field 田 is used to raise livestock [because it is not sufficiently fertile for grain crops]) [mysterious = 玄 = thread 玄 at which a mysterious magnet 磁 hangs]
Plants for raising livestock have to be grown & stored.  
HSK 6
livestock, domestic animal, to raise (animals)
chù, xù
Top: mysterious, occult 玄 (part of magnet: 磁, where an upper bracket 艹 holds threads 玄 with hanging stones 石 that are mysterious), bottom: field 田
(It is not sufficiently fertile for grain-crops:) The mysterious field is used for livestock.  
HSK 6
chord, string (of bow / musical instrument), hypotenuse
xián
Left: bow 弓, right: mysterious 玄 (part of magnet: 磁, where an upper bracket 艹 holds threads 玄 with hanging stones 石 that are mysterious)
(As it withstood high forces, the bowstring was high-tech) The bow has a mysterious string.  
HSK 6
to boast, to show off, to dazzle
xuàn
Left: fire 火, right: mysterious 玄 (part of magnet: 磁, where an upper bracket 艹 holds threads 玄 with hanging stones 石 that are mysterious.)
Like a fire that is mysterious is: sb. who is boasting.  
no HSK
dazzling, brilliant, dazzled, dizzy
xuàn
Left: eye 目, right: mysterious 玄 (part of magnet: 磁, where an upper bracket 艹 holds threads 玄 with hanging stones 石 that are mysterious)
In the eyes it is mysterious: It is dazzling.  
no HSK
now, here, this, time

(2x mysterious 玄 (part of magnet: 磁, where an upper bracket 艹 holds threads 玄 with hanging stones 石 that are mysterious)
Like a magnet without a stone, such mysterious is: this now and here.  
no HSK
mysterious, black
xuán
Part of magnet: 磁, where an upper bracket 艹 holds threads 玄 with hanging stones 石 that are mysterious (cf. threads 纟/糸)
The thread hanging from a bracket is mysterious.  
no HSK
side of a ship or an aircraft
xián
Left: boat 舟, right: mysterious, occult 玄 (part of magnet: 磁, where a upper bracket 艹 holds threads 玄 with hanging stones 石 that are mysterious.)
The ship has mysterious sides.  
no HSK
cramp, spasm, convulsion, twitch
chù
Left: hand 扌, right: mysterious 玄 (part of magnet: 磁, where an upper bracket 艹 holds threads 玄 with hanging stones 石 that are mysterious) and field 田
When the hand contracts mysteriously to a fist 田, it is: a cramp.  

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

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