氵

Water Radical — 氵(shuǐ)

A compressed form of 水 (water). Three dots on the left side of a character.

Appears in: characters related to water, rivers, seas, swimming, and liquids.

水 (shuǐ) means water.

水 (shuǐ) means water. As a standalone character it looks like flowing water — a central stroke with two curves on either side. When it becomes a radical inside another character, it shrinks into three dots on the left: 氵.

Those three dots are your signal. When you see 氵on the left side of a character, the character almost always has something to do with water or liquid.

There are over 1,000 Chinese characters with the water radical. Here are the most useful ones for young learners.

As a radical, 口 appears in over 1,000 Chinese characters. Almost all of them involve the mouth in some way — speaking, eating, drinking, singing, or making sounds.

Chinese Characters with the 氵Radical

Fun Activity:Water Play Vocabulary

Water Play Vocabulary Game

This works best at bath time, at a water table, or at the beach. As you play with water together, introduce the characters one by one in context. Point to the river on a map and say 河 (hé). Pour water into a bowl and say 洗 (xǐ, wash). Blow bubbles and say 泡 (pào). Write each character on a waterproof card or simply draw it in condensation on the bathroom mirror. The physical connection to real water makes the radical unforgettable.

🗺️ Water World Poster

Draw or print a simple landscape — mountains, a river, a lake, the sea. Write the matching character next to each body of water. Children label the scene themselves: 河 for the river, 湖 for the lake, 海 for the sea. Display it somewhere visible and add new 氵characters as you learn them.

Does 氵Always Mean Water?

Usually — but not always. Some characters contain 氵for historical reasons that are no longer obvious. Teach children to use it as a clue, not a rule. A clue that narrows a guess is still enormously useful, even when it is not exact.

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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