首
contributes the sense of a head — the front · Kangxi radical 185
contributes the sense of a head — the front, top, or leading part of something
首 began as a picture of an animal's head seen from the side, with hair or horns drawn above and the eye and snout below. In the modern shape the two short strokes 丷 on top are what remains of that hair or the antlers, and the 自 underneath — itself an old drawing of a nose and face — holds the eye. From a literal head it stretched easily to 'front end' and 'leader', which is why it marks the bow of a ship in 艏 and the cheek in 馗, while 道 pairs it with the movement radical for the road one heads down.
首 at a glance
- Meaning
- contributes the sense of a head — the front
- Strokes
- 9
- Characters
- 4
- Role
- Usually contributes meaning
- Kangxi radical
- 185
Characters with 首
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 首 mean?
首 means "contributes the sense of a head — the front". In the characters that contain it, it usually contributes meaning.
How many Chinese characters contain 首?
4 characters in this dictionary contain 首, including ones at HSK 2.
Is 首 a radical?
Yes — 首 is Kangxi radical 185, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.
How many strokes does 首 have?
首 is written in 9 strokes.