麥
contributes the sense of wheat and other cereal grains · Kangxi radical 199
contributes the sense of wheat and other cereal grains, and of things made from grain such as ferments and malt
麥 is built from 來, which was itself a picture of a wheat plant with its stalk, drooping ears and spreading leaves, plus 夂 at the bottom, a downward-pointing foot or leg. The upper part of the modern 麥 still shows the plant: a horizontal ear, a central stalk, and two short strokes for the leaves; the lower 夂 is usually read as the harvester coming to the field, though its exact role is debated. In 麴, ferment made from grain, 麥 names the raw material. The simplified form 麦 keeps the same plant on top but smooths the foot below into a single sweeping stroke.
麥 at a glance
- Meaning
- contributes the sense of wheat and other cereal grains
- Strokes
- 11
- Characters
- 5
- Role
- Usually contributes meaning
- Kangxi radical
- 199
Characters with 麥 (1 of 5)
Beyond HSK · 1
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 麥 mean?
麥 means "contributes the sense of wheat and other cereal grains". In the characters that contain it, it usually contributes meaning.
How many Chinese characters contain 麥?
5 characters in this dictionary contain 麥.
Is 麥 a radical?
Yes — 麥 is Kangxi radical 199, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.
How many strokes does 麥 have?
麥 is written in 11 strokes.