宀

marks a character as involving a building · Kangxi radical 40

marks a character as involving a building, a room, or something happening under a roof

宀 is a picture of a house seen from the front or side: the short top stroke is the ridge or peak of the roof, and the hooked stroke sweeping down on each side is the sloping eaves or walls. In the modern form the shape still reads as a lid or canopy sitting over the rest of the character, so whatever is written under 宀 is understood to be inside or sheltered by a house — a child under a roof learning 字, grain and goods stored inside for 富, someone huddled with straw indoors in 寒. The related radical 穴 adds strokes underneath to suggest a hollowed-out dwelling or cave rather than a built one.

宀 at a glance

Meaning

marks a character as involving a building

Strokes

3

Characters

84

Role

Contributes meaning

Kangxi radical

40

Characters with 宀 (70 of 84)

Frequently asked questions