When the formation data identifies 匕 as semantic, the relevant character record states that role.
← All 214 radical families
Semantic role Phonetic role Radical classification
匕
Radical 21 of 214 · 2 strokes
Spoon
bǐ
Unicode uses 匕 as a Kangxi radical category. Its reference meaning is spoon, ladle; knife, dirk. The relationship to an individual character may be semantic, historical, or primarily classificatory.
3 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
3 course characters
Expand a character to view its structure, formation analysis, and related HSK words.
Showing 3 characters.
北běinorth; northern; northwardDetails+
pictographic formation
Formation: Pictograph of two people standing back-to-back. Based on the original meaning "back", now written as 背. The current meaning "north" is a phonetic loan.
- 人Pictographic componentperson
- 人Pictographic componentperson
- Category radical
- 匕 spoon
- Visual structure
- 匕
化huàto change, to convert, to reform; -izeDetails+
pictographic formation
Formation: Pictograph of a right-side up person and an upside-down person, depicting the meaning "turn around" or "transform".
- 亻Pictographic componentperson
- 匕Pictographic componentspoon; ladle
- Category radical
- 匕 spoon
- Visual structure
- 亻 + 匕
HSK words with 化15 words in this course
匙chí, shīspoon; surnameDetails+
semantic–phonetic
Formation: Phonosemantic compound. 匕 represents the meaning and 是 represents the sound.
- 匕Semantic componentspoon; ladle
- 是Phonetic componentis; to be
- Category radical
- 匕 spoon
- Visual structure
- 是 + 匕
HSK words with 匙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.