Radical TrainerThe water radical: 水 and 氵
水 shuǐ means water and has four strokes. On the left side of a character it is written as 氵, a three-stroke form called 三点水 sāndiǎnshuǐ, literally "three dots of water."
Two shapes, one component
水 is the full form. It works as a word on its own: 喝水 hē shuǐ means to drink water. In most characters that contain water, though, you will see the narrow left-side form 氵. The two are writing forms of the same component, not two different radicals.
| Form | Strokes | Where you see it | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 水 | 4 | alone, or at the bottom of some characters | 泉 quán spring (water source) |
| 氵 | 3 | left side | 河 hé river |
To write 氵, make two short dots from top to bottom, then a rising stroke from lower left toward upper right.
Meaning, not sound
Chinese speakers call the left form 三点水 when describing how a character is written, for example "河 is 三点水 plus 可." When you read a whole character aloud, though, you do not say shuǐ. You say the character's own pronunciation:
- 河 hé (river)
- 海 hǎi (sea)
- 洗 xǐ (to wash)
- 汤 tāng (soup)
- 酒 jiǔ (alcohol)
In these examples, 氵 is a meaning component. It does not determine the whole character's pronunciation. In 河, the right side 可 kě offers a partial sound hint, which is a separate component.
A clue, not a guarantee
Many 氵 characters relate to liquids, rivers, or washing. Some do not, at least not in modern meaning:
- 法 fǎ (law, method)
- 没 méi (not have)
- 活 huó (to live)
Use 氵 as a first guess about meaning and then check the word in context.
Do not confuse 氵 with 冫
冫 has only two strokes and is called 两点水 liǎngdiǎnshuǐ, "two dots of water." It often relates to ice or cold: 冰 bīng (ice), 冷 lěng (cold). Count the dots. Three means water; two points toward ice, with the same caution about exceptions, such as 次 cì (time, occurrence).
Recognition drill
For each character, decide whether the left side is 氵, 冫, or neither: 湖 冷 洗 次 江 准 村.
Show answers
- 湖 hú (lake): 氵
- 冷 lěng (cold): 冫
- 洗 xǐ (wash): 氵
- 次 cì (time, occurrence): 冫, with no ice meaning
- 江 jiāng (river): 氵
- 准 zhǔn (accurate): 冫, with no ice meaning
- 村 cūn (village): neither, its left side is 木 wood
Quick self-check
Say aloud the reading of each 氵 word you got right in the drill. If you said shuǐ for any of them, look at the list above again.
Continue with the fire radical, another nature radical with a variant form, or test yourself in the starter quiz. The beginner guide explains why variants are writing forms rather than new meanings.