入
contributes the sense of going in · Kangxi radical 11
contributes the sense of going in, entering, or putting something into something else
The old graph is a simple pointed wedge — two lines meeting at a sharp apex, like an arrowhead or the tip of something being pushed in. Some read it instead as the mouth of a cave or the opening of a dwelling seen from outside; the true original picture is uncertain. The modern shape keeps that downward-pointing tip: a short stroke on the left and a long sweeping stroke on the right joining at a peak, which is what separates it from the similar-looking 人. You can see the meaning working in 汆 (drop food into water to quick-boil) and 籴 (bring grain in, i.e. buy it up), where 入 sits on top and the thing entered sits below.
入 at a glance
- Meaning
- contributes the sense of going in
- Strokes
- 2
- Characters
- 7
- Role
- Contributes meaning
- Kangxi radical
- 11
Characters with 入 (3 of 7)
HSK 4 · 1
Beyond HSK · 2
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 入 mean?
入 means "contributes the sense of going in". In the characters that contain it, it contributes meaning.
How many Chinese characters contain 入?
7 characters in this dictionary contain 入, including ones at HSK 4.
Is 入 a radical?
Yes — 入 is Kangxi radical 11, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.
How many strokes does 入 have?
入 is written in 2 strokes.