marks a character as naming a fish · Kangxi radical 195

marks a character as naming a fish, a sea creature, or something to do with fishing

魚 began as a picture of a whole fish stood on its tail: a pointed head, a scaly body, fins, and a spreading tail at the bottom. In the modern shape you can still read it top to bottom — the small angled stroke at the top is the head, the 田 in the middle is the scaled body, and the bottom horizontal line is the flattened tail. When 魚 sits on the left of a character it narrows into 魚 with the tail line squeezed short, and it almost always tells you the word is a kind of fish or shellfish, as in 鯨 whale and 鰻 eel.

魚 at a glance

Meaning
marks a character as naming a fish
Strokes
11
Characters
64
Role
Contributes meaning
Kangxi radical
195

Characters with 魚 (3 of 64)

Beyond HSK · 3

Frequently asked questions

What does the component 魚 mean?

魚 means "marks a character as naming a fish". In the characters that contain it, it contributes meaning.

How many Chinese characters contain 魚?

64 characters in this dictionary contain 魚.

Is 魚 a radical?

Yes — 魚 is Kangxi radical 195, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.

How many strokes does 魚 have?

魚 is written in 11 strokes.