女
marks words for women · Kangxi radical 38
marks words for women, girls, and female kinship or social roles, and also serves as a sound hint in a few characters
The old graph of 女 showed a person seen from the side, kneeling or sitting with the legs folded under and the arms crossed or held forward. In the modern shape you can still trace it: the crossing strokes at the top are the arms, and the long curving stroke that sweeps down and to the right is the bent body and folded legs. As a component it usually says the word concerns a female person, as in 她 (she), 奶 (mother), 嫔 (concubine); in 汝 and 钕 it is there only for the sound.
女 at a glance
- Meaning
- marks words for women
- Strokes
- 3
- Characters
- 162
- Role
- Contributes meaning
- Kangxi radical
- 38
Characters with 女 (109 of 162)
HSK 1 · 3
HSK 2 · 5
HSK 5 · 12
HSK 6 · 13
Beyond HSK · 72
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 女 mean?
女 means "marks words for women". In the characters that contain it, it contributes meaning.
How many Chinese characters contain 女?
162 characters in this dictionary contain 女, including ones at HSK 1, HSK 2, HSK 3, HSK 5, HSK 6.
Is 女 a radical?
Yes — 女 is Kangxi radical 38, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.
How many strokes does 女 have?
女 is written in 3 strokes.