卜
contributes the idea of divination and reading omens · Kangxi radical 25
contributes the idea of divination and reading omens, and very often just supplies the sound bu/pu/fu/po
卜 is a picture of the crack that opened in a turtle shell or an ox shoulder blade when a diviner touched it with a hot point; the shape of the split was read as the answer to a question. You can still see it in the modern form: one long stroke for the main crack with a short stroke branching off to the right, like a fork in the split. That original sense survives in 卦 (a divinatory diagram) and 外 (originally divining outside the proper time), while in 仆, 扑, 补, 讣, 赴 and 钋 the 卜 is there only for its pronunciation.
卜 at a glance
- Meaning
- contributes the idea of divination and reading omens
- Strokes
- 2
- Characters
- 18
- Role
- Contributes meaning and sound
- Kangxi radical
- 25
Characters with 卜 (15 of 18)
HSK 1 · 1
HSK 2 · 1
HSK 4 · 1
HSK 5 · 2
HSK 6 · 2
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 卜 mean?
卜 means "contributes the idea of divination and reading omens". In the characters that contain it, it contributes meaning and sound.
How many Chinese characters contain 卜?
18 characters in this dictionary contain 卜, including ones at HSK 1, HSK 2, HSK 4, HSK 5, HSK 6.
Is 卜 a radical?
Yes — 卜 is Kangxi radical 25, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.
How many strokes does 卜 have?
卜 is written in 2 strokes.