When the formation data identifies 辛 as semantic, the relevant character record states that role.
← All 214 radical families
Semantic role Phonetic role Radical classification
辛
Radical 160 of 214 · 7 strokes
Bitter
xīn
Unicode uses 辛 as a Kangxi radical category. Its reference meaning is bitter; toilsome, laborious; 8th heavenly stem; Kangxi radical 160. The relationship to an individual character may be semantic, historical, or primarily classificatory.
12 course characters35 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
12 course characters
Expand a character to view its structure, formation analysis, and related HSK words.
Showing 12 characters.
辦bànto set up; to manage, to run; to deal with, to handleDetails+
semantic–phonetic
Formation: Phonosemantic compound. 力 represents the meaning and 辡 represents the sound.
- 力Semantic componentstrength; power
- 辡Phonetic componentdispute; argue; discuss
- Category radical
- 辛 bitter
- Visual structure
- 辛 + 力
HSK words with 辦6 words in this course
辛xīnbitter; toilsome, laborious; 8th heavenly stemDetails+
formation note
Formation: Pictograph of a chisel-like tool used to tattoo the face of criminals as punishment (see 黑).
Formation source · Dong Chinese Lexicon- Category radical
- 辛 bitter
- Visual structure
- 立 + 十
HSK words with 辛2 words in this course
辣làpepper; hot, spicy; cruelDetails+
semantic–phonetic
Formation: Phonosemantic compound. 辛 represents the meaning and 束 represents the sound. Simplified form of 辢.
- 辛Semantic componenthard; laborious; suffering
- 束Phonetic componentbind; bunch
- Category radical
- 辛 bitter
- Visual structure
- 辛 + 束
HSK words with 辣2 words in this course
辞cíwords, speech; to resign, to take leaveDetails+
compound formation
Compound formation: Bitter 辛 words 舌
- Category radical
- 辛 bitter
- Visual structure
- 舌 + 辛
- Also indexed under
- 舌 tongue
HSK words with 辞4 words in this course
辩biànto argue, to dispute; to discuss, to debateDetails+
semantic–phonetic
Formation: Simplified form of 辯. Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 辡 represents the sound.
- 讠Semantic componentspeech
- 辡Phonetic componentdispute; argue; discuss
- Category radical
- 辛 bitter
- Visual structure
- 辛 + 讠
HSK words with 辩5 words in this course
辭cíwords, speech; to resign, to take leaveDetails+
dictionary category
Dictionary relationship: Unicode indexes this character under 辛 “bitter.” The modern meaning connection may be indirect or historical.
- Category radical
- 辛 bitter
- Visual structure
- 爫 + 冂 + 厶 + 又 + 辛
HSK words with 辭4 words in this course
辯biànto argue, to dispute; to discuss, to debateDetails+
semantic–phonetic
Formation: Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 辡 represents the sound.
- 言Semantic componentspeech
- 辡Phonetic componentdispute; argue; discuss
- Category radical
- 辛 bitter
- Visual structure
- 辛 + 言
HSK words with 辯5 words in this course
辜gūcrime, offense, sinDetails+
semantic–phonetic
Formation: Phonosemantic compound. 辛 represents the meaning and 古 represents the sound.
- 辛Semantic componenthard; laborious; suffering
- 古Phonetic componentancient; old
- Category radical
- 辛 bitter
- Visual structure
- 古 + 辛
HSK words with 辜2 words in this course
辟pìlaw, rule; to open up, to developDetails+
pictographic formation
Formation: Depicts punishing a kneeling person (卩) with a curved knife (䇂).
- 卩Pictographic componentperson
- 䇂Pictographic componentsickle
- 口Semantic componentmouth
- Category radical
- 辛 bitter
- Visual structure
- 尸 + 口 + 辛
HSK words with 辟1 word in this course
辨biànto recognize, to distinguish, to discriminateDetails+
compound formation
Compound formation: To separate 刂 two alternatives 辛
- Category radical
- 辛 bitter
- Visual structure
- 辛 + 刂
HSK words with 辨2 words in this course
辫biànbraid, pigtail, plait; queueDetails+
semantic–phonetic
Semantic–phonetic formation: 纟 contributes the broad semantic category “thread”; 辛 contributes the historical pronunciation.
- Category radical
- 辛 bitter
- Visual structure
- 辛 + 纟
HSK words with 辫1 word in this course
辮biànbraid, pigtail, plait; queueDetails+
semantic–phonetic
Semantic–phonetic formation: 糸 contributes the broad semantic category “thread”; 辛 contributes the historical pronunciation.
- Category radical
- 辛 bitter
- Visual structure
- 辛 + 糸
- Also indexed under
- 糸 silk
HSK words with 辮1 word 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.