When the formation data identifies 音 as semantic, the relevant character record states that role.
← All 214 radical families
Semantic role Phonetic role Radical classification
音
Radical 180 of 214 · 9 strokes
Sound
yīn
Unicode uses 音 as a Kangxi radical category. Its reference meaning is sound, tone, pitch, pronunciation; Kangxi radical 180. The relationship to an individual character may be semantic, historical, or primarily classificatory.
4 course characters20 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
4 course characters
Expand a character to view its structure, formation analysis, and related HSK words.
Showing 4 characters.
音yīnsound, tone, pitch, pronunciationDetails+
pictographic formation
Formation: Pictograph of sound (represented with one or two horizontal lines) coming from a tongue (舌). In seal script, identical to 言 (speech) except with a dot or line added to the middle of the 口 (mouth) component.
- 舌Pictographic componenttongue
- ◎Pictographic componentcharacterless component
- Category radical
- 音 sound
- Visual structure
- 立 + 日
HSK words with 音8 words in this course
響xiǎngto make noise, to make sound; soundDetails+
semantic–phonetic
Formation: Phonosemantic compound. 音 represents the meaning and 鄉 represents the sound. Originally written as 向.
- 音Semantic componentsound; voice
- 鄉Phonetic componentcountryside; native place; hometown
- Category radical
- 音 sound
- Visual structure
- 鄉 + 音
HSK words with 響5 words in this course
竟jìngfinally, after all, at last; indeed; unexpectedDetails+
formation note
Formation: Origin unclear.
- 音Role unclearsound; voice
- 人Role unclearperson
- Category radical
- 音 sound
- Visual structure
- 音 + 儿
- Also indexed under
- 立 stand
HSK words with 竟3 words in this course
章zhāngchapter, section, writing; sealDetails+
formation note
Formation: Origin unclear.
- 立Role unclearstand; establish
- 早Role unclearearly; morning
- Category radical
- 音 sound
- Visual structure
- 音 + 十
- Also indexed under
- 立 stand
HSK words with 章4 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.