zaau2 bou6爪部
Jyutpingzaau2 bou6
Yalejáau bouh
Definition
The Kangxi radical 87 representing a claw, used in Chinese character classification.
neutralschool
How it's used
Linguists and students use this term primarily when discussing character composition or looking up words in a traditional dictionary. It specifically refers to the radical form 爪, which often appears at the top of a character, rather than the standalone noun 爪 meaning claw.
Examples
The claw radical is usually related to hands or actions.
Related words
Common phrases
the head of the claw radical
Common mistake
Learners often confuse the radical 爪部 with the character 手部 because they share similar semantic origins related to hands, but they are distinct radicals in the Kangxi system.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
