When the formation data identifies 老 / 耂 as semantic, the relevant character record states that role.
← All 214 radical families
Semantic role Phonetic role Radical classification
老
Radical 125 of 214 · 6 strokes
Old
lǎo · forms 老 / 耂
Unicode uses 老 as a Kangxi radical category. Its reference meaning is old, aged; experienced; Kangxi radical 125. The relationship to an individual character may be semantic, historical, or primarily classificatory.
3 course characters22 character–word links
Semantic–phonetic characters identify the component associated with historical pronunciation.
The primary dictionary radical is shown independently of any claim about modern meaning.
Character index
3 course characters
Expand a character to view its structure, formation analysis, and related HSK words.
Showing 3 characters.
老lǎoold, aged; experiencedDetails+
pictographic formation
Formation: Pictograph of an old person with long hair bent over and leaning on a cane.
- ◎Pictographic componentcharacterless component
- ◎Pictographic componentcharacterless component
- ◎Pictographic componentcharacterless component
- Category radical
- 耂 old
- Visual structure
- 耂 + 匕
考kǎoto test, to investigate, to examineDetails+
semantic–phonetic
Formation: Phonosemantic compound. 耂 represents the meaning and 丂 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "elderly father". The meaning later shifted to "examine" and "test".
- 耂Semantic componentold
- 丂Phonetic componentbreath
- Category radical
- 耂 old
- Visual structure
- 耂 + 丂
HSK words with 考8 words in this course
者zhěthat which; they who; those whoDetails+
formation note
Formation: Origin unclear.
Formation source · Dong Chinese Lexicon- Category radical
- 耂 old
- Visual structure
- 耂 + 日
HSK words with 者5 words in this course
Classification: Unicode 17.0 kRSUnicode. Structure: Make Me a Hanzi. Formation: Dong Chinese Lexicon where available, with a documented Make Me a Hanzi fallback. Method and licenses.