The classifiers, determinants or radicals (bushou 部首) of a Chinese character serve to categorize words according to their meaning and to place them into a dictionary. The advantage of a radical is that one does not have to know the pronunciation of the character. For most characters, there is no problem to be categorized. But especially characters that are not compounded of a phonetical (shengfu 聲符) and a classifying part (xingfu 形符), are not easy to be classified in such a system. For example, shall the character for "heaven" 天 be classified under "great" 大 or under "one" 一? Having a closer look at some characters, wrong attributions can easily be found, for instance the character for dao 到 "arriving" seems to be compounded from a standing "knife" 刀 to the right and the character 至 as a second part. Indeed, all characters deriving from the radical "knife" have the same shape. But looking at the meaning of the character, we see that in fact, the "knife" is not the radical, but the phonetical part of the character (pronounced dao), and the left part is in fact the radical 至 zhi "arriving". Some writing styles also create the problem to recognize the real radical, for example 荊 jing: is the radical the "top grass" 艸 or the "standing knife" 刀?
The dictionary most accurately describing the characters and their radicals is the Late Han dictionary Shuowen jiezi 說文解字 by Xu Shen 許慎 (d. 147 AD). Xu attributed all characters to 540 radicals. Many of these radicals have only few characters depending on them (like 系 xi "binding together, connecting": 孫 sun grandson, 綿 mian brocade, 繇 yao following up), some Shuowen radicals even stand alone for themselves, like the first of terrestrial branches, 甲 jia. And one can really argue if the character 炎 yan "gleaming", consisting of two "fire" 火, is a radical for its own or rather belongs to the radical 火 huo (one fire). The system of 214 radicals came up during the late Ming dynasty, when characters like 孫 sun "grandson" were rather attributed to the radical zi 子 "son". The first dictionary using the 214 radical system was Mei Yingzu's 梅膺祚 Zihui 字彙 "Character treasure" from 1615, containing more than 30.000 characters. The most famous dictionary using them is the Kangxi dictionary Kangxi zidian 康熙字典 from 1716.

Even the reduction of radicals from 540 to 214 left behind a lot of work for people wanting to be expert in knowing the radicals of all characters. Modern dictionaries therefore have created their own system of radicals, mostly according to the shape of the Chinese character. Characters like 哉 zai (an exclamation particle), 栽 zai "planting", 戴 zai "loading", 裁 cai "tailoring" can now easily be found under the radical - what is actually the phonetical part of these characters - instead of the traditional radicals 口 kou "mouth", 木 mu "tree", 車 che "cart", or 衣 yi "clothing". 奉 feng "receiving with respect", 奏 zou "reporting to the throne", 春 chun "spring", 泰 tai "great", 秦 qin (a kind of millet), are now all headed under the radical , while their traditional radicals are gong "raised hands", tao "going forward" (the 214 radical system attributes feng and zou to the radical 大 da "great"), 日 ri "sun" (the Shuowen jiezi only knows the character 萅 for "spring"), 水 shui "water", and 禾 he "grain". See also the theme simplification of characters.
Some radicals have a different shape if they stand alone as a word, and as a radical:

• 刀 "knife" is written as a "standing knife" (lidao 立刀) to the left 到 and standard if on the bottom 券
• 心 "heart" is written as a "standing heart" (shuxin 豎心) to the left 情 or with four dots if on the bottom 恭, but sometimes written standard 愛寧
• 人 "man" is written as a "standing man" (danliren 單立人) to the left 仁 or relatively wide if on the bottom 兒
• 手 "hand" is written with three strokes (tishoupang 提手旁) to the left 抱 or standard if on the bottom 擎
• 攴 "whip" is normally written like (fanwen 反文) 故, and only seldom written standard 敲
• 水 "water" is normally written with three dots (sandianshui 三點水) 江 and standard if on the bottom 汞
• 火 "fire" is written standard if to the left or on the bottom 烤炃 and with four dots (sidian 四點) if on the bottom, but sometimes written standard 焚
• 犬 "dog" is written with a special shape 狄 called quanyou 犬猶
• 玉 "jade" is written like a king 王 if to the left, but standard if on the bottom 璧
• 爪 "claw" is written in small dots 爭 if on the top
• 网 "net" is written like a horizonal eye 置 (sizitou 四字頭)
• 艸 "grass" is written with three (or four) strokes on the top (caozitou 草字頭) 華
• 肉 "meat, flesh, organ" is written like 月 a moon 肺
• 示 sacral matters are written with four (or five) strokes to the left 福 and standard on the bottom 祟
• 衣 "clothing" is written with five strokes to the left 衫, and sometimes separated in bottom and top 袞
• 辵 "walking" is written with four (or three) strokes (zouzhi 走之) 近
• 阜 "dam" and 邑 "town" are written with three (two) strokes in the shape of an ear (erdao 耳刀) 邯阻
• 食 "eating" is written with one stroke less 飯

The list below gives an overview over the 214 radicals with their meaning and examples how characters with these radicals look like. The characters in round brackets （） are examples for simplified forms whose traditional forms have other radicals.

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One Stroke
1	一 yi	one; a horizontal stroke	丁七丈三上下不且世丘丙丞（并=並,专=專,丝=絲,业=業）
2	丨 gun	a vertical stroke (also read xin or tui)	丫中串丰（临=臨）
3	丶 zhu	a dot	丸主凡（丽=麗,举=舉）
4	丿 pie	a stroke curved to the left (also written 撇)	乃久之乏乖乘（乐=樂,乌=烏,乔=喬）
5	乙 yi	a bend stroke; the second of celestial stems	九乞也乳乾亂（习=習,书=書,卫=衛,买=買）
6	亅 jue	a hook	了予事（争=爭）
Two Strokes
7	二 er	two; two horizontal strokes	于云互五井些亞亟（亚=亞）
8	亠 tou	head, above (also written 頭)	亡亢交亥亦亨享京亭亮（产=產）
9	人 ren	man, a person	仁仄今令以件企休來
10	儿 ren	man, a person (at the bottom of a character)	允元兄充先光克兒兔（党=黨）
11	入 ru	entering, starting	內全兩兪
12	八 ba	eight; to part, to divide	公六兮共兵其具典兼冀（兴=興）
13	冂 jiong	wilderness	内冊册冉再冓冒
14	冖 mi	cover	冠冤冥冢冪（写=寫,农=農）
15	冫 bing	two dots; ice, cold (also written 冰)	冬冰冶准凌凍凝（况=況）
16	几 ji	small table	凡凰凱凴
17	凵 qu	wide opened mouth	凶凸凹出函（击=擊）
18	刀 dao	knife, sword, cutting, separating	刁刃分切刑列初利到制前劇
19	力 li	strength, force	功加勇動勞勰勸勉（办=辦）
20	勹 bao	embracing (also written 包)	勺勾勿包匈
21	匕 bi	spoon, ladle	化北匙
22	匚 fang	square box	匝匜匠匡匣匪匯奩
23	匸 xi	round box	匹區
24	十 shi	ten; two crossed strokes	千升半午卑卒卓協南博（丧=喪,卖=賣）
25	卜 bu	divining	卞占卡卣卦卧（卢=盧）
26	卩 jie	seal, stamp	卮卯印危卵卷卸卻却即卿
27	厂 han	cliff	厄厚原厥厲（厅=廳,历=歷,压圧=壓,质=質）
28	厶 si	self, private (also written 私)	去參（县=縣）
29	又 you	grasping, further, again	叉及友反叔取叛叢収受叚叡（双=雙,变=變,艰=艱,难=難）
Three Strokes
30	口 kou	mouth, opening, sounding	古句另只叫召可台史右司各吉合同名后向 君周味呼和命品員哭售商問喝喜喪喬單（号=號,后=後,吕=呂）
31	囗 wei	enclosure (also written 圍)	囚四回因困國團圅
32	土 tu	earth, soil	在圭地坊坐垂型執基堂報堯壞（圧=壓）
33	士 shi	official, scholar	壬壯壹壺壽（声=聲,売=賣）
34	夊 (bottom) sui	walking slowly	夏夔（処处=處）
35	夊 (top) zhi	overtaking	夆夅 (务=務,备=備); this radical is often omitted and replaced by 34
36	夕 xi	evening	外多夙夜夠夢
37	大 da	big, large	天夫夭失夾央夷夸夾奇奈奉奔奏套奧（类=類,头=頭）
38	女 nü	woman	奶好妻妾始妀如妝妥姜妹委威娘
39	子 zi	child, son; the first of terrestrial branches	孑孔孕字存孚孝孟季孤學孰孺
40	宀 mian	roof, cover	宇宙安宋完寫寒
41	寸 cun	inch	寺封射專將尉尋對導（寿=壽）
42	小 xiao	small	少尔尖尚尞（尘=塵,単=單,営=營）
43	尢 wang	broken or curved leg	尤尨就尬尷
44	尸 shi	corpse, body	尺尿尹尾局屬
45	屮 che	sprout	屯屰
46	山 shan	mountain, cliff	岡崗岳岸峰（岁=歲）
47	巛川 chuan	river, stream	州巡巢
48	工 gong	work	左巧巨巩巫差
49	己 ji	self, own; the sixth of celestial stems	已巳巴巷巽巵
50	巾 jin	towel, napkin	市布帆帘席帶常幂帽币幣帅師
51	干 gan	shield	平年幸幹并幷
52	幺 yao	small, young	幻幼幽幾（乡=鄉）
53	广 yan	house built at a slope	序底度庭廈廠廢廣（庆=慶,应=應）
54	廴 yin	walking a long distance	延廷建
55	廾 gong	two hands (at bottom of character)	廿弁弄弊（开=開,弃=棄）
56	弋 yi	shooting	式弒弌
57	弓 gong	crossbow	引弗弘弟弦弱張彎弼彊
58	彐彑 ji	pig head	彖彗彘彙彝（当=當,彔录=錄,帰=歸）
59	彡 shan	hair, feather	彥彩彬彪彭影彰形彧（须=須）
60	彳 chi	walking slowly	彼役往征待很律後得從
Four Strokes
61	心 xin	heart, feeling	忄必忍志忘念忙怕性情恭恥愛
62	戈 ge	axe, halberd	戊戌戎成戒我或戚戰戲戔
63	戶 hu	house, door	户戸房所扇
64	手 shou	hand, actions	扌才打批折承拜拳掌摯
65	支 zhi	branch	攰攱攳
66	攴 pu	whip	攵改攻放故政教救整敲
67	文 wen	word, literature	斌斑斐（斉=齊,斎=齋,斏=艱,対=對）
68	斗 dou	a kind of volume measure	料斛斜斝
69	斤 jin	a kind of weight measure; axe	斥斧斫斬斯新斷
70	方 fang	square, direction, locality	於施旁旅旋族旗
71	无 wu	do not, no	既旣
72	日 ri	sun, clear	旦旨早旬旱昌明昏易是時暮（旧=舊）
73	曰 yue	speaking	曲更書曹曼曾替最會
74	月 yue	moon, month	有朋服朔朗望朝期朦
75	木 mu	tree, wood	未末本朱李材村束東果枣榮柔（术=術,杀=殺）
76	欠 qian	missing, gap	次欣欲欺款歎歡
77	止 zhi	stopping	正此步武歨歪歮歯歰歲歴歷歸
78	歹 dai	evil	歺死殆殃
79	殳 shu	halberd	段殺殿毆
80	母 mu	mother (or 毋 wu do not)	每毐毒毓
81	比 bi	side by side, comparing	毘毚（毕=畢）
82	毛 mao	hair, feather	毫毯毦毳
83	氏 shi	clan	氐民
84	气 qi	air, breath	氣氛氧
85	水 shui	water	氵永求汗汞沙沒泰泉江洋淼
86	火 huo	fire	灬灰災灾炎炊炒炭烏烈焉焚無熨照焦然焱燕營（灭=滅）
87	爪 zhao	claw, hand	爫爬爭爰爲爵（觅=覓）
88	父 fu	father	爸爹爺
89	爻 yao	crossing two times	爽爾
90	爿 qiang	bed	丬牆（将=將
91	片 pian	slice, piece	版牌牘
92	牙 ya	teeth	牚
93	牛 niu	cow, ox	牜特牝牢牟物牽犧牲犀
94	犬 quan	dog, dog-like animals	犭犮狗猿狀狐狸獵獲獻狊
Five Strokes
95	玄 xuan	black, dark	率玈
96	玉 yu	jade, stone	王玫瑰班琵琶
97	瓜 gua	pumpkin, melon	瓢瓣
98	瓦 wa	tile, earthenware	瓷瓶
99	甘 gan	sweet	甚甜
100	生 sheng	giving birth, living	產甥
101	用 yong	using	甫甬甯甩
102	田 tian	field	由甲申男甸畏畢畔畒略畜當番画畫畵疆
103	疋 pi	roll, bolt	疏疑
104	疒 chuang	sick	病疾癌
105	癶 bo	two hands above	癸登發
106	白 bai	white (also read bo)	百的皆皎皓皇皋
107	皮 pi	leather, skin	皺皹
108	皿 min	plate	盆盈盒盜盡盧
109	目 mu	eye	盲省直眇眠相眉看真眾瞿睿睘督
110	矛 mao	spear	矜矞
111	矢 shi	arrow	矣知短矩
112	石 shi	stone, rock	砂砍破碧磨
113	示 shi	spiritual, ancestor	礻社神禮祁祟票祭禁
114	禸 rou	animal stamping the earth	禹禺禽（离=離）
115	禾 he	grain ear	秀私秉秋科秦移
116	穴 xue	hollow, hole, hidden	究空穿突窗窟窮竊
117	立 li	stand, erect	站竟章童竭端競竸（竜=龍,竝=並）
Six Strokes
118	竹 zhu	bamboo	竿笑第等節
119	米 mi	rice	粉粗粟粵粥粲
120	糸 mi	thread, fabric	纟系紀紅素索絲綢緊縣繭
121	缶 fou	crock, vessel	罐缺
122	网 wang	net	罒罔罩罰罷
123	羊 yang	sheep, goat	羌美羔羞群羨義羚
124	羽 yu	wings	翅習翠翻
125	老 lao	old	考耆者
126	而 er	moustache; but, and	耐耍
127	耒 lei	handle of a plough	耕耙
128	耳 er	ear	耶聃耿聊聯聖聘聚聰聲聽
129	聿 yu	brush	肀肆肅肇
130	肉 rou	meat, organs of the body	月肖肚育背肺胡能腐
131	臣 chen	servant, subject	臥臧臨
132	自 zi	nose, self	臭
133	至 zhi	arrive	致臺臻
134	臼 jiu	mortar	舂舅與興舉舊
135	舌 she	tongue	舍舒舖
136	舛 chuan	lying side by side	舜舝舞
137	舟 zhou	boat, ship	航船
138	艮 gen	simple, honest, straight	良艱
139	色 se	color, outlook	艷
140	艸 cao	grass, herb, plant	艹芙蓉芔芻草花芻茶葉華萬（劳=勞,营=營,etc.节=節
141	虍 hu	tiger	虎虐處虛號虢虥
142	虫 hui	insect, creeping animal; sometimes read chong	蚉蚊虱螞蟻蛋蚤蜀蟲蠶（虽=雖）
143	血 xue	blood (seldom read xie)	衅衇眾衊蔑
144	行 xing	walk, row, line (also read hang)	衍術衛衡
145	衣 yi	clothing	衤袖袋褲襪表衰袁裁裂表
146	襾覀 ya	cover	西要覃覇覆
Seven Strokes
147	見 jian	seeing	见規親覺觀
148	角 jue	horn; a kind of volume measure	觚解觕觥觸
149	言 yan	speaking	讠計訓訇記詳認識誓譬變
150	谷 gu	valley	谿豀豁
151	豆 dou	bean; a kind of vessel	豈豐豎豐豔
152	豕 shi	pig	豖豚象豪豫豬豳
153	豸 zhi	small hairy animals	豹貌貓
154	貝 bei	cowry snail	贝負貞財賊賜贛貧貨貫貿買賣貭貴
155	赤 chi	red	赫赭赧
156	走 zou	walking	赴起超越
157	足 zu	foot, leg, walking	跑跨跟跪路
158	身 shen	body	躬躲軀
159	車 che	cart	车軌軟較軍載輩轡
160	辛 xin	bitter; the eighth of celectial stems	辜辟辣辦辨辯辭
161	辰 chen	morning; the fifth of terrestrial branches	辱農
162	辵 chuo	stamping on the earth, going	辶迎進迷逆通遷
163	邑 yi	village	阝那邦郎郡部郭都鄉
164	酉 you	wine, jar; the tenth of terrestrial branches	配酥醉酸酒醫
165	釆 bian	distiguishing, separating (sometimes mistaken as 采 cai)	采釉釋
166	里 li	mile, hamlet	重野量釐
Eight Strokes
167	金 jin	metal, gold	钅釜銀銅釘銳鋒鑒
168	長 chang	long, hair	长镸镽
169	門 men	door	门開間閑關（闘=鬪）
170	阜fu	hill, dam	阝阪防阻附陰陽
171	隶 dai	reaching, catching	隸
172	隹 zhui	small bird	雀雅雇雁雖雍雙雜難離
173	雨 yu	rain	雪雲霧電雷靈
174	靑 qing	bluegreen	青靖靚靜
175	非 fei	wings; not	靠靡
Nine Strokes
176	面 mian	face	靦靨
177	革 ge	skin, leather, changing	鞅鞍鞭鞏
178	韋 wei	tanned leather	韋韓韜
179	韭 jiu	chives, scallion	韮韱韲
180	音 yin	sound	韶韻響
181	頁 ye	page, face	页頃項順須領頭顏顯
182	風 feng	wind	风颱飄
183	飛 fei	flying	飜飝
184	食 shi	eating	饣飯飲餓餘餐養饕
185	首 shou	head	馗馘
186	香 xiang	odor, perfume	馨馚
Ten Strokes
187	馬 ma	horse	马馮馴馳駐驚
188	骨 gu	bone	骼髒體
189	高 gao	high, aloft	髚
190	髟 biao	hair	髯鬍鬢
191	鬥 dou	battle	鬦鬧鬪鬬
192	鬯 chang	offering spirits	鬰
193	鬲 li	a kind of vessel	鬻鬴
194	鬼 gui	ghost, spirit	魏魂魔魄
Eleven Strokes
195	魚 yu	fish	鱼鯉鮑魦鯨魯鯈鯊
196	鳥 niao	bird	鸟鳧雞鳴鴻鴛鴦鶯鴈鴃鳳
197	鹵 lu	salt	鹹鹼鹽
198	鹿 lu	deer	塵麃麋麉麓麟
199	麥 mai	grain	麦麵
200	麻 ma	hemp	麼摩魔
Twelve Strokes
201	黃 huang	yellow	黄黊黌
202	黍 shu	millet	黏黎
203	黑 hei	black	黒點黛黱黨
204	黹 zhi	needlework	黼黻
Thirteen Strokes
205	黽 min	frog, amphibium (seldom read mian)	黾鼈黿鼆
206	鼎 ding	tripod	鼏鼒
207	鼓 gu	drum	鼗鼘
208	鼠 shu	mouse, rat	鼬
Fourteen Strokes
209	鼻 bi	nose, self	齁
210	齊 qi	equal, all	齐齋齑
Fifteen Strokes
211	齒 chi	teeth	齿齢
Sixeen Strokes
212	龍 long	dragon	龙龕龔
213	龜 gui	turtle, tortoise	鼋龞
Seventeen Strokes
214	龠 yue	flute	龢

Table 7. Comparison of different shapes of radicals

full shape	full stroke number	examples	short shape	short stroke number	examples
刀	2	剪劒	刂	2	到刻劍
人	2	仄來倉	亻	2	仁仙侶
水	4	永沯滎	氵	3	河江浮
心	4	忍忽愁	忄	3	悌患懷
手	4	拜拳拿	扌	3	拈括擾
火	4	災熨炊	灬	4	炁烈煎
犬	4	猋猌	犭	4	狗狐狸
玉	5	瑩璧璽	王	4-5	環球珮
示	5	禁齋禮	礻	4	祈神福
衣	6	裁衾裂	衤	5	袒褲襪
金	8	鎏鎣鑒	钅	5-6	銀銅鈺
食	9	餐饕養	饣	3	饒餛飩