谷

contributes the sense of a valley or ravine · Kangxi radical 150

contributes the sense of a valley or ravine, and very often just supplies the sound yù

The old graph for 谷 shows an opening at the bottom — the mouth of a gorge, drawn as 口 — with branching strokes above it standing for water spilling down out of the hills and spreading as it comes through the gap. The modern shape keeps both parts plainly: the 口 at the base is the valley mouth, and the forked strokes over it are the streams pouring in. In 峪 the mountain radical makes the valley reading explicit, and in 浴 (washing in a stream) the picture still fits, but in most other characters — 欲, 裕, 俗, 鹆 — 谷 is there only for its sound.

谷 at a glance

Meaning

contributes the sense of a valley or ravine

Strokes

7

Characters

13

Role

Contributes meaning and sound

Kangxi radical

150

Characters with 谷 (9 of 13)

Frequently asked questions