The Arrow Radical 矢: Overview, Mnemonics, and Vocabulary

Hey Pandanese users! Let us ask you a question: Is anybody here a fan of adventure sports? Something such as bungee jumping, mountain biking, or archery?

Speaking of archery, it’s a competitive and recreational activity. To practice archery, you’ll need a bow and arrow. Do you know the character for arrow in Chinese looks somewhat similar to an arrow?

Today, Pandanese is thrilled to introduce you to the arrow radical 矢 shǐ. Continue reading for more information!

Table of Contents

What is the arrow radical?

The Chinese radical for arrow is 矢 shǐ. 矢 shǐ radical is composed of 5 strokes and listed as radical 111 according to the Kangxi radical chart (a system of radicals of Chinese characters). Also, according to the Kangxi Dictionary, there are 64 characters (out of 49,030) which contain this radical.

The arrow radical 矢 shǐ was originally a pictogram similar to 厂 hǎn(cliff), 目 mù (eye), or 牛 niú (cow). As a result, it conveys the idea of an arrow through pictorial drawing. Let’s look at how this radical has transformed over the years to see how it’s more recognizable in older forms.

What is the stroke order of the arrow radical?

How can you memorize the arrow radical?

As the arrow radical 矢 shǐ has changed quite a lot from its original form (which was more recognizable), learning it will take you a while. The good news is there’s a learning technique that lets learners memorize this word with fun rather than learn it by heart – the mnemonics technique.

At Pandanese, we employ mnemonics flashcards to help Chinese learners like you get the most out of your learning. Your Chinese learning journey couldn’t get any easier! Or could it? Have a look at how mnemonics works in this example.

You might remember the arrow radical with this easy mnemonic: This radical means arrow. Do you see that one (一) big (大) slash (丿) on the side of his face? Rumor has it he accidentally cut himself with his own arrow… Using mnemonics to remember Chinese radicals like arrow has a huge impact on how long to learn Mandarin it takes.

Can you create mnemonics for yourself?

When it comes to using mnemonic devices to learn vocabulary, we recognize that a mnemonic may work well for one individual but not for another. In other words, everyone has their own individual logic behind their mnemonics. Let your voice be heard!

Pandanese can see that coming. Therefore, we’ve created the “Synonym Feature” that allows you to make your own mnemonics. It could be easier to memorize a character or radical with your personalized mnemonics

An arrow radical vocabulary list for you!

Interested in learning some vocabulary related to the arrow radical? Enrich your knowledge with these essential words, which contain the arrow radical.

Character	Pinyin	English meaning
矢量	shǐ liàng	vector
俟	sì	to wait
知	zhī	know, understand, be aware of
嫉	jí	jealousy
痴	chī	foolish
智	zhì	wisdom, resourcefulness; clever, bright
矩	jǔ	steel square
喉	hóu	throat
矧	shěn	besides, moreover, in addition
踟	chí	to hesitate

An arrow radical vocabulary list

Could learning Chinese be a breeze?

Learning Chinese shouldn’t be hard — it should be easy and full of joy! Ditch the textbook and rote learning method and instead try mnemonics; using mnemonics is proven to help learners digest new pieces of information more easily and more efficiently.

Pandanese is a web-based application exclusively designed to help Chinese-language learners memorize Chinese characters easier and more effectively. Pandanese uses scientifically proven memory-aid methods like mnemonics and Spaced Repetition System (SRS) to optimize your learning ability, helping you learn more than 6,000 hanzi and vocabulary within just a year.

If you’re interested in the Chinese language, especially Chinese radicals, we encourage you to check out our Pandanese blog and read as much as you like before starting your learning!

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