虍

marks a character as tiger-related · Kangxi radical 141

marks a character as tiger-related, and often just supplies the sound hū/xū in words with no tiger sense

The old graph was a picture of a tiger seen from the side, with a big open mouth, striped body and clawed legs. 虍 is the top part of that picture — the head and the striped back — which is why the full tiger 虎 adds a hook-and-leg element below for the body and hind leg. Once it became a fixed top-piece, it was also borrowed for its sound, so characters like 虑, 虚 and 虞 wear a tiger's head without meaning anything tigerish.

虍 at a glance

Meaning: marks a character as tiger-related
Strokes: 6
Characters: 19
Role: Usually contributes meaning
Kangxi radical: 141

Characters with 虍 (9 of 19)

HSK 4 · 2

虎hǔ · tiger 虑lǜ · to think over

HSK 5 · 1

虚xū · emptiness

HSK 6 · 2

虏lǔ · prisoner of war 虐nüè · (bound form) brutal; oppressive; harsh

Beyond HSK · 4

虔qián · to act with reverence 虖hū · to exhale 豦qú · a wild boar 虞yú · (literary) to expect; to anticipate

Frequently asked questions

What does the component 虍 mean?

虍 means "marks a character as tiger-related". In the characters that contain it, it usually contributes meaning.

How many Chinese characters contain 虍?

19 characters in this dictionary contain 虍, including ones at HSK 4, HSK 5, HSK 6.

Is 虍 a radical?

Yes — 虍 is Kangxi radical 141, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.

How many strokes does 虍 have?

虍 is written in 6 strokes.