marks the character as involving the heart — feelings · Kangxi radical 61 · variant of 心

marks the character as involving the heart — feelings, moods and inner attitudes such as shame, respect, or longing

This is the squashed bottom-of-the-character form of 心 "heart," which began as a drawing of an actual heart: a rounded sac with the vessels sticking out at the top. When the heart was pushed under another element, its curved body flattened out and the strokes separated into ⺗ — a small central hook or stroke with a pair of dots on each side, the leftover tips of those vessels. Look at the base of 恭 or 慕 and picture the heart spread thin under the weight of what sits on top of it.

⺗ at a glance

Meaning
marks the character as involving the heart — feelings
Strokes
4
Characters
4
Role
Contributes meaning
Kangxi radical
61
Variant of

Characters with ⺗

HSK 4 · 1

HSK 6 · 1

Beyond HSK · 2

Frequently asked questions

What does the component ⺗ mean?

⺗ means "marks the character as involving the heart — feelings". In the characters that contain it, it contributes meaning.

How many Chinese characters contain ⺗?

4 characters in this dictionary contain ⺗, including ones at HSK 4, HSK 6.

Is ⺗ a radical?

Yes — ⺗ is Kangxi radical 61, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.

How many strokes does ⺗ have?

⺗ is written in 4 strokes.