contributes the sense of a dish · Kangxi radical 108

contributes the sense of a dish, bowl, or open vessel and things held or done in one

皿 is a picture of an open-mouthed vessel seen from the side: a wide rim on top, a bowl-shaped body, and a foot or stand underneath. In the modern form the top stroke is the rim, the short vertical strokes are the sides of the bowl, and the long bottom stroke is the base it sits on. You can still read that picture in the characters it forms: 盐 is salt in a vessel, 监 shows a person bending over a basin of water to look at a reflection, 盗 has someone drooling over a container, and 蛊 puts insects inside a pot.

皿 at a glance

Meaning
contributes the sense of a dish
Strokes
5
Characters
47
Role
Usually contributes meaning
Kangxi radical
108

Characters with 皿 (25 of 47)

HSK 3 · 1

HSK 4 · 2

HSK 5 · 3

HSK 6 · 3

Beyond HSK · 16

Frequently asked questions

What does the component 皿 mean?

皿 means "contributes the sense of a dish". In the characters that contain it, it usually contributes meaning.

How many Chinese characters contain 皿?

47 characters in this dictionary contain 皿, including ones at HSK 3, HSK 4, HSK 5, HSK 6.

Is 皿 a radical?

Yes — 皿 is Kangxi radical 108, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.

How many strokes does 皿 have?

皿 is written in 5 strokes.