方
contributes the sound fāng/fáng to most characters · Kangxi radical 70
contributes the sound fāng/fáng to most characters, and also stands in for the old 'flag on a pole' element in a group of others
The original picture behind 方 is disputed — it has been read as a plough, as a knife or handle, and as two boats lashed side by side, and no one reading is settled. Whatever it showed, in the great majority of characters it works purely as a sound cue: 坊, 妨, 房, 芳, 纺, 肪, 舫, 访, 昉, 仿 all say something like fang. A second, unrelated source hides in the same shape: the graph 㫃, a banner hanging from a pole, was flattened into 方 plus a small stroke or two on top right, which is why 施, 旁, 旅, 旗, 於 and 放 are grouped here even though they began with flags rather than squares.
方 at a glance
- Meaning
- contributes the sound fāng/fáng to most characters
- Strokes
- 4
- Characters
- 41
- Role
- Contributes meaning and sound
- Kangxi radical
- 70
Characters with 方 (37 of 41)
HSK 3 · 1
HSK 5 · 4
HSK 6 · 5
Beyond HSK · 22
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 方 mean?
方 means "contributes the sound fāng/fáng to most characters". In the characters that contain it, it contributes meaning and sound.
How many Chinese characters contain 方?
41 characters in this dictionary contain 方, including ones at HSK 2, HSK 3, HSK 4, HSK 5, HSK 6.
Is 方 a radical?
Yes — 方 is Kangxi radical 70, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.
How many strokes does 方 have?
方 is written in 4 strokes.