扌

Hand Radical — 扌(shǒu)

手 (shǒu) means hand. As a radical it becomes 扌— three strokes on the left side of a character.

Appears in: actions done with the hands — push, pull, hold, hug, find, and more.

手 (shǒu) means hand.

手 (shǒu) means hand. As a standalone character, it has five strokes and looks a little like an outstretched hand. As a radical inside another character, it compresses into 扌— three quick strokes on the left side.

The hand radical family is full of action verbs. Almost every character containing 扌describes something you do with your hands. This makes it a very physical, memorable radical — children can act out every word as they learn it.

Chinese Characters with the 扌Radical

Fun Activity:Action Verb Movement Game

Hand Action Game

This is best played standing up with some space. Call out a 扌character and children perform the action with their hands. Push (推 tuī) — push hands forward. Pull (拉 lā) — pull hands toward the body. Hug (抱 bào) — wrap arms around themselves. Throw (扔 rēng) — mime throwing a ball. Catch (接 jiē) — reach out and catch. Because every word is a physical action, children remember them quickly. Reverse the game: you perform the action, they call out the Chinese character.

Sports Vocabulary Extension

打 (dǎ) is especially versatile — it appears in many sport and activity phrases: 打球 (dǎ qiú, play ball), 打篮球 (dǎ lánqiú, play basketball), 打网球 (dǎ wǎngqiú, play tennis). Use 打 as a springboard into sports vocabulary. Children who already know their favourite sport’s name in Chinese can immediately build a phrase with 打 — a satisfying and motivating win.

This article is about one of the most important Chinese Radicals for Children. Have a look at all the 30 Most Important Chinese Radicals and the posters that are good for both home and classroom use. 

New to radicals? Learn the difference between piānpáng (偏旁) and bùshǒu (部首).

Further Reading

• Chinese characters with the 氵(water) radical →Full character family with examples and usage
• Chinese characters with the 木 (tree) radical →Full character family — trees, wood, and furniture
• Chinese characters with the 口 (mouth) radical →Full character family with examples and usage
• Chinese characters with the 女 (woman) radical →Full character family with examples and usage
• Chinese characters with the 亻(person) radical →Pronouns and everyday action words
• Chinese characters with the 扌(hand) radical →Action verbs — push, pull, hug, throw, and more
• Chinese characters with the 艹(grass) radical →Plants, flowers, vegetables, and nature vocabulary
• 30 Most Important Chinese Radicals for Kids →The complete guide — all 30 high-frequency radicals with examples and activities
• 30 Chinese Radical Family Poster Pack – 30 beautifully illustrated posters — one for every major Chinese radical.

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