contributes the sense of two hands acting together — lifting · Kangxi radical 55

contributes the sense of two hands acting together — lifting, holding, offering, or working on something

The old graph showed a pair of hands raised side by side, palms up, as if presenting or hoisting something between them. Over time the fingers and arms were flattened into two short strokes rising from a single horizontal base, which is the modern 廾. You can still see the two hands doing the work in 舁 (two people lifting), 弄 (handling something), 弃 (throwing a child away with both hands), and 戒 (both hands gripping a weapon on guard); in 共 the hands hold one thing up together, and in 葬 they lay a body among the grass.

廾 at a glance

Meaning
contributes the sense of two hands acting together — lifting
Strokes
3
Characters
18
Role
Contributes meaning
Kangxi radical
55

Characters with 廾 (16 of 18)

HSK 1 · 1

HSK 2 · 1

HSK 4 · 1

HSK 5 · 1

HSK 6 · 3

Beyond HSK · 9

Frequently asked questions

What does the component 廾 mean?

廾 means "contributes the sense of two hands acting together — lifting". In the characters that contain it, it contributes meaning.

How many Chinese characters contain 廾?

18 characters in this dictionary contain 廾, including ones at HSK 1, HSK 2, HSK 4, HSK 5, HSK 6.

Is 廾 a radical?

Yes — 廾 is Kangxi radical 55, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.

How many strokes does 廾 have?

廾 is written in 3 strokes.