斤
contributes the sense of cutting or chopping with an axe · Kangxi radical 69
contributes the sense of cutting or chopping with an axe, and often just supplies the sound jin/xin/qi
斤 began as a picture of an axe or adze seen from the side: a curved blade at the bottom of a bent wooden handle. In the modern shape you can still read the short slanting stroke and the horizontal line at the top as the head of the tool, with the long vertical hook running down as the handle. That chopping sense is alive in 匠 (an axe kept in a box, hence a craftsman), 斫 to chop, 断 to break apart, 折 to snap off, and 新, originally cutting fresh wood. In many other characters 斤 is there only for its sound, as in 近, 欣, 祈, 芹 and 沂.
斤 at a glance
- Meaning
- contributes the sense of cutting or chopping with an axe
- Strokes
- 4
- Characters
- 30
- Role
- Contributes meaning and sound
- Kangxi radical
- 69
Characters with 斤 (24 of 30)
HSK 1 · 1
HSK 4 · 1
HSK 5 · 2
HSK 6 · 4
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 斤 mean?
斤 means "contributes the sense of cutting or chopping with an axe". In the characters that contain it, it contributes meaning and sound.
How many Chinese characters contain 斤?
30 characters in this dictionary contain 斤, including ones at HSK 1, HSK 2, HSK 4, HSK 5, HSK 6.
Is 斤 a radical?
Yes — 斤 is Kangxi radical 69, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.
How many strokes does 斤 have?
斤 is written in 4 strokes.