What is the 丁 component in Chinese characters?

丁 (dīng) is a Chinese character component associated here with “male adult; robust, vigorous; 4th heavenly stem”. It appears in 26 indexed related characters and is taught as a visual pattern.

Is 丁 a radical or a component?

丁 is used here as a visual component. It is not the dictionary radical for the related characters shown on this page.

Home›Components›丁

Visual pattern

丁 component

dīng · male adult; robust, vigorous; 4th heavenly stem

A recurring visual building block found inside multiple Chinese characters. Compare what stays the same and what changes across the family.

View stroke order

A repeatable reading move

How to use 丁

Use the component as a clue, then verify the complete character.

Spot 丁

Find the repeated shape and notice where it sits before trying to memorize the whole character.

Compare the visual pattern

Use the stable shape to recognize the family, without assuming it always supplies meaning or sound.

Check what changes

Read the remaining component, then confirm the full pinyin, meaning, and stroke order on the character page.

Shared clue丁Visual pattern

Read the pattern before memorizing the list

Use the shared shape as a recognition anchor, then confirm the full character's pronunciation and meaning.

The component page is a learning family; the radical page is a dictionary index. A shape can serve both roles.

Compare the family

What stays the same, what changes?

Each card keeps 丁 visible while showing the other building blocks and the completed character.

可=

丁+口

kěHSK 3.0 · L3

may, can, -able

Study character

打=

扌+丁

dǎ

to attack, to beat, to hit, to strike

Study character

成=

丁+戈

chéngHSK 3.0 · L6

to accomplish

Study character

顶=

丁+页

dǐngHSK 3.0 · L6

top, summit, peak

Study character

灯=

火+丁

dēngHSK 3.0 · L3

lamp, lantern, light

Study character

盯=

目+丁

dīngHSK 3.0 · L7-9

to rivet one's gaze upon

Study character

订=

讠+丁

dìngHSK 3.0 · L4

to make an order

Study character

厅=

厂+丁

tīng

hall, central room

Study character

钉=

钅+丁

dīngHSK 3.0 · L7-9

nail, spike

Study character

亍=

一+丁

chù

to take small steps

Study character

仃=

亻+丁

dīng

lonely, solitary

Study character

予=

丁

yǔ

to give

Study character

More characters to try

Open any character for animation, writing feedback, examples, and a printable worksheet.

叮dīng 宁níng 汀tīng 玎dīng 疔dīng 町tīng 耵dīng 虰dīng 酊dīng 訂dìng 亭tíng 釘dīng 頂dǐng 寧níng

Move into vocabulary

Words you can read next

These words contain characters from the 丁 family. Open one to see its complete breakdown.

打电话dǎdiànhuà

to make a telephone call

HSK 3.0 · L1 可以kěyǐ

can

HSK 3.0 · L1 打dǎ

a semantically light, transitive verb that is combined with various grammatical objects to form compound verbs and verb-object phrases with a diverse range of meanings

HSK 3.0 · L2 打车dǎchē

to take a taxi

HSK 3.0 · L2 打开dǎkāi

to open

HSK 3.0 · L2 可能kěnéng

might

HSK 3.0 · L2 变成biànchéng

to change into

HSK 3.0 · L3 成绩chéngjì

achievement

HSK 3.0 · L3 打扫dǎsǎo

to clean