艮
mostly supplies the sound (gēn · Kangxi radical 138
mostly supplies the sound (gēn, hěn, kěn, yín, xiàn) and, in some characters, a sense of stopping short or holding back
The old graph for 艮 combined an eye with a bent human figure, apparently someone turning to glare back over the shoulder — hence the associated ideas of resisting, balking, and going no further, though this reading is disputed and the original picture is not certain. In the modern shape you can still make out a squashed 目 on top with two legs trailing down to the right, the last stroke kicking out like a foot planted against motion. That blocked-and-stopping feel shows through in 限 (limit), 垠 (boundary), 退 (retreat) and 艰 (difficult), while in 根, 跟, 眼, 银 and 恨 the element is there mainly for its sound. Note that 良 and 簋 only look similar; their bottom parts come from other shapes entirely.
艮 at a glance
- Meaning
- mostly supplies the sound (gēn
- Strokes
- 6
- Characters
- 24
- Role
- Contributes sound
- Kangxi radical
- 138
Characters with 艮 (20 of 24)
HSK 1 · 1
HSK 3 · 3
HSK 4 · 1
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 艮 mean?
艮 means "mostly supplies the sound (gēn". In the characters that contain it, it contributes sound.
How many Chinese characters contain 艮?
24 characters in this dictionary contain 艮, including ones at HSK 1, HSK 2, HSK 3, HSK 4, HSK 5, HSK 6.
Is 艮 a radical?
Yes — 艮 is Kangxi radical 138, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.
How many strokes does 艮 have?
艮 is written in 6 strokes.