Configuration of the Radicals in the Chinese Characters

汉字的字形与部首之间的空间关系

Youxuan Wang

2011-10-25

In our three-step analytic approach to the study of Chinese characters, we see a character first as the configuration of radicals. We divide the character into sections, and figure out how the sections are spatially related.

Take the word "谢" (from the expression"谢谢") for example. In this case, we will see this character as a space divided into three sections which are arranged horizontally from left to right. In other words, we see the character as a structure made up of the three building blocks: "讠" ，"身" and "寸".

We want to find out as to how many building blocks there are in a character and want to know how these buidling blocks are spatically arranged. Different words may have the same or different number of building blocks; and their building blocks may or may not be configured in the same way. By classifying the various ways in whcih the radicals are spatially arranged in a character into a finite number of types, we can learn to write Chinese characters more efficiently.

Different analytic systems give different classifications. A widely known classification is the list of 15 configurations attributed to Fu Yonghe (傅永和, 1989).

1. Left-Right Configuration (左右结构),e.g.：

语、好、汉、行、妈、妹、谁

"语" features a left-right configuration of '讠' and '吾'.

2. Top-Bottom Configuration (上下结构), e.g.：

哥、怎、志、爸、苗、字、去、杂

"哥" features a configuration of "可" and "可", with one standing on top of the other.

3. Left-Middle-Right Configuration (左中右结构), e.g.：

啊、谢、彬、湖、棚、椭

"湖" features a three-part structure in which the radical "古" is flanked by radicals "氵" and "月".

4. Top-Middle-Bottom Configuration (上中下结构), e.g.：

奚、蓝、髻、禀、亵

"奚" features a top-middle-bottom configuration of "爫","玄" and "大".

5. North-and-East Enclosure (右上包孕结构), e.g.：

句、包、可、司、式 、寸、马

"包" shows "勹" closing in on "巳" from the north and east.

6. North-and-West Enclosure (左上包孕结构), e.g.：

庙、灰、病、房、屋、尼、有

 "庙" features "广" closing in on "由" from north and west.

7. South-and-West Enclosure (左下包孕结构), e.g.：

还、进、这、建、连、毯、尴

 "还" features  "辶" standing to the south and west of  "不".

8. Sout-and-East Enclosure (右下包孕结构), e.g.：

斗

 "斗" features an enclosure with "十" standing on the east and south.

9. West-North-and-East Enclosure (上三包孕结构)，e.g.：

同、问、闹、周、闻

 "问" features a "口" sourrounded by "门" on the west, north and east sides.

10. East-South-and-West Enclosure (下三包孕结构)，e.g.：

击、凶、函、画

 "凶" features a east-south-and-west enclosure with  "乂" trapped in  "凵" .

11. North-West-and-South Enclosure (左三包孕结构)，e.g.：

区、巨、匝、匣

 "区" features a east-south-and-west enclosure with "乂" nestling in  "匚" .

12. Complete Enclosure (全包围结构)，e.g.：

困、国、园、圆、图、囚、团、因、囹

 "困" features a "木" surrounded by the four walls of "囗" .

13. Left-Right Symmetry (左右对称结构)，e.g.：

人、坐、口，天，工、十

"人" is symmetrical from left to right and vice versa.

14. Indivisible Structure (单体结构)，e.g.：

五、开、一、乙，无，午、车

"五" is not subject to further spatial division.

15. Special Structure (特殊结构)：

Conclusion: Stop trying to learn a character by counting the strokes and memorising their sequence in the first instance. First and foremost, divide the character into its composing radicals and work out how the radicals are spatially related.

We will discuss the semantic and etymological aspects of the radicals in a separate article. It's only at the level of the radicals shall we draw our attention to the strokes.

References:

“Bihua 笔画”.Wikipedia. URL: <http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%AC%94%E7%94%BB#.E6.8F.90>.

Fu Yonghe 傅永和（主编）.Hanzi shuxing zidian 《汉字属性字典》.北京：语文出版社，1989.

“The most common radicals in Chinese characters”.URL: <http://intensive-chinese.blogspot.com/2011/10/shortlist-of-most-common-characters.html>.