HSK Guide

Radical 180sound; tone, music, a syllable

yīn (first tone, high and level)

sound; tone, music, a syllable

Radical 1809 strokes0 characters

Where the shape comes from

Speech 言 with one stroke added across the mouth, marking the vibration, the tone of what is said rather than its words — sound heard as distinct from meaning spoken. It names music directly in 音乐 and sound, voice, in 声音, and sits above 心, the heart, in 意, intention, meaning, the tone of a feeling felt inwardly before it is ever put into words.

characters filed under

No published character on HSK Guide is filed under this radical yet. Character explorer.