<p>The correct term is just <em>components</em>. Characters aren't comprised of <em>radicals</em> (部首; <em>section header</em>). Radicals are just modern stroke-shapes used as indexing tools to mark the <em>heading</em> (首) of <em>dictionary sections</em> (部), equivalent to the first letter of an English word when you look it up in a dictionary (&quot;A&quot;, &quot;B&quot;, &quot;C&quot;, etc.), and may not be related to the character at all.</p>
<p>Since a character isn't indexed under more than one radical in a dictionary, we also don't speak of characters having multiple radicals, just like English words don't have more than one first letter.</p>
<hr />
<div class="s-table-container">
<table class="s-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: center;">時期<br>字體</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">字形</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">參考資料</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period" rel="nofollow noreferrer">戰國</a>・<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu_(state)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">楚</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips" rel="nofollow noreferrer">簡</a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/fd03T.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/fd03T.png" alt="兼" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;">11<br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_Marquis_Yi_of_Zeng#Other_contents" rel="nofollow noreferrer">曾侯竹簡</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">篆</a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/6oIbf.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/6oIbf.png" alt="兼" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&amp;file=77390&amp;page=110" rel="nofollow noreferrer">秝部</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi" rel="nofollow noreferrer">說文解字</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Eastern_Han" rel="nofollow noreferrer">東漢</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">隸</a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/tFUzS.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/tFUzS.png" alt="兼" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;">衡方碑</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">楷</a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/g6UsG.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/g6UsG.png" alt="兼" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<p>「兼」 is a picture of a <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=20" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>hand</em> 「又」</a> simultaneously grasping <em>two</em> <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=281" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>cereal plants</em> 「禾</a>禾」, indicating the meaning <em>simultaneously</em>, <em>concurrently</em>.</p>
<p>Be wary of the shape changes in 「兼」 over the course of history: 「又」 is still present in the middle of 「兼」 and now looks like 「⋺」, while the top of 「禾禾」 has been reduced to 「䒑」.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-24T01:18:23.677Z
2023-01-24T01:24:36.167Z
2023-01-24T01:24:36.167Z
dROOOze
<p>the main radical is 八, and the components are 䒑、⺕、八、丨 as per pleco.</p>
<p>For these types of questions often a dictionary is still the best choice.  I am sure there are probably online ones as well if you prefer to pleco.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-24T01:19:47.100Z
2023-01-24T01:19:47.100Z
zagrycha
<p>Without the knowledge of a character's components or radicals, I find some difficulty recalling the meaning or pronunciation of that character. I have looked at <a href="https://store.mandarinposter.com/simplified-chinese-radicals-list-free-printable-reference" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this poster</a> containing radicals here, but cannot place which radicals comprise it. I'd appreciate any help. Thank you!</p>

<glyph-origin><character-components>
What are the components (or radicals) that comprise the character '兼'?
# What are the components (or radicals) that comprise the character '兼'?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-01-24)

Without the knowledge of a character's components or radicals, I find some difficulty recalling the meaning or pronunciation of that character. I have looked at [this poster](https://store.mandarinposter.com/simplified-chinese-radicals-list-free-printable-reference) containing radicals here, but cannot place which radicals comprise it. I'd appreciate any help. Thank you!

**Tags:** glyph-origin, character-components

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-01-24. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

The correct term is just *components*. Characters aren't comprised of *radicals* (部首; *section header*). Radicals are just modern stroke-shapes used as indexing tools to mark the *heading* (首) of *dictionary sections* (部), equivalent to the first letter of an English word when you look it up in a dictionary ("A", "B", "C", etc.), and may not be related to the character at all.

Since a character isn't indexed under more than one radical in a dictionary, we also don't speak of characters having multiple radicals, just like English words don't have more than one first letter.

---

| 時期 字體 | 字形 | 參考資料 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [戰國](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period)・[楚](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu_(state)) [簡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips) | [兼](https://i.sstatic.net/fd03T.png) | 11 [曾侯竹簡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_Marquis_Yi_of_Zeng#Other_contents) |
| [篆](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_seal_script) | [兼](https://i.sstatic.net/6oIbf.png) | [秝部](https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&file=77390&page=110) [說文解字](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi) |
| [東漢](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Eastern_Han) [隸](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script) | [兼](https://i.sstatic.net/tFUzS.png) | 衡方碑 |
| [楷](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script) | [兼](https://i.sstatic.net/g6UsG.png) |  |

「兼」 is a picture of a [*hand* 「又」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=20) simultaneously grasping *two* [*cereal plants* 「禾](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=281)禾」, indicating the meaning *simultaneously*, *concurrently*.

Be wary of the shape changes in 「兼」 over the course of history: 「又」 is still present in the middle of 「兼」 and now looks like 「⋺」, while the top of 「禾禾」 has been reduced to 「䒑」.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2023-01-24. Score: 0

the main radical is 八, and the components are 䒑、⺕、八、丨 as per pleco.

For these types of questions often a dictionary is still the best choice. I am sure there are probably online ones as well if you prefer to pleco.


---

