瓜
contributes the sense of melons · Kangxi radical 97
contributes the sense of melons, gourds and their flesh, and very often just supplies the sound gu/hu
瓜 began as a picture of a vine: two curving strokes spreading out to the sides like trailing tendrils, with a small closed shape hanging in the middle for the melon itself. In the modern form you can still read it that way — the outer strokes sweep left and right as the vine, and the little 厶-like element tucked inside the frame is the fruit. When 瓜 carries meaning it points to gourd-like fruits and their insides (瓠 gourd, 瓢 dipper cut from one, 瓤 pulp, 瓞 small melon); in 孤, 弧, 狐, 觚 and 呱 it is there only for its sound.
瓜 at a glance
- Meaning
- contributes the sense of melons
- Strokes
- 5
- Characters
- 12
- Role
- Contributes meaning and sound
- Kangxi radical
- 97
Characters with 瓜 (11 of 12)
HSK 4 · 1
HSK 6 · 1
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 瓜 mean?
瓜 means "contributes the sense of melons". In the characters that contain it, it contributes meaning and sound.
How many Chinese characters contain 瓜?
12 characters in this dictionary contain 瓜, including ones at HSK 4, HSK 6.
Is 瓜 a radical?
Yes — 瓜 is Kangxi radical 97, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.
How many strokes does 瓜 have?
瓜 is written in 5 strokes.