疒
marks a character as naming an illness · Kangxi radical 104
marks a character as naming an illness, injury, or bodily affliction
The old graph of 疒 showed a person lying down against a bed, with the bed drawn standing on its side so it fits in a tall square; some early forms even add drops beside the figure, as if sweat. In the modern component you can still read the shape: the top dot and the long left-falling stroke are the propped-up bed, and the two short strokes tucked inside the corner are the person leaning on it. Because a person in bed in daytime was assumed to be ill, 疒 came to wrap around the phonetic part of words for sickness — as in 疯 (insane), 癣 (ringworm), and 痊 (to recover).
疒 at a glance
- Meaning
- marks a character as naming an illness
- Strokes
- 5
- Characters
- 126
- Role
- Contributes meaning
- Kangxi radical
- 104
Characters with 疒 (98 of 126)
HSK 2 · 1
HSK 3 · 2
HSK 5 · 6
HSK 6 · 13
Beyond HSK · 76
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 疒 mean?
疒 means "marks a character as naming an illness". In the characters that contain it, it contributes meaning.
How many Chinese characters contain 疒?
126 characters in this dictionary contain 疒, including ones at HSK 2, HSK 3, HSK 5, HSK 6.
Is 疒 a radical?
Yes — 疒 is Kangxi radical 104, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.
How many strokes does 疒 have?
疒 is written in 5 strokes.