亥
almost always supplies sound rather than meaning · Character component
almost always supplies sound rather than meaning, giving the syllables hai, gai, he and ke to the characters that contain it
亥 is the twelfth of the twelve earthly branches used in the old calendar, and what the original graph pictured is genuinely unclear — the early forms have been read as a pig, a plant root, and other things, with no agreement. Because of this, it is best learned as a shape rather than a picture: a short stroke and a horizontal line on top, then a stack of angled strokes below that look like two leaning human figures. In compounds it sits on the right or the bottom and does phonetic duty, which is why 该, 孩, 骇 and 刻 all echo one another in sound.
亥 at a glance
- Meaning
- almost always supplies sound rather than meaning
- Strokes
- 6
- Characters
- 20
- Role
- Contributes sound
Characters with 亥 (15 of 20)
HSK 2 · 1
HSK 3 · 2
HSK 5 · 1
HSK 6 · 1
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 亥 mean?
亥 means "almost always supplies sound rather than meaning". In the characters that contain it, it contributes sound.
How many Chinese characters contain 亥?
20 characters in this dictionary contain 亥, including ones at HSK 2, HSK 3, HSK 5, HSK 6.
How many strokes does 亥 have?
亥 is written in 6 strokes.