Work Radical (工) — Characters, Meaning and Practice Worksheet
工 is the work radical. It appears in 16 of the most common Chinese characters — these 12 are the ones worth learning first, and the worksheet below gives every one of them a pinyin header, a stroke-by-stroke model and blank Tianzige grids to copy into.
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What does 工 mean?
Work radical · 工 gōng · 3 strokes · work, craft
It usually appears on the left, or at the bottom. The Origin column below shows what each character's parts do — many take their meaning from the radical, some take their sound from the other half.
Shapes: 工
工 itself: A spade or other workman's tool
12 common characters with 工
Ranked by how often they appear in real written Chinese. Every character links to its own page with a stroke-order animation and example words.
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 经 | jīng | through, by means of; by way of, via | 工 supplies the sound |
| 式 | shì | type, style | A craftsman using an awl 弋 and a measuring square 工 |
| 空 | kōng | empty, hollow; blank; vacant | 工 supplies the sound |
| 功 | gōng | merit, achievement; skill | Results produced by capable 力 labor 工; 工 also provides the pronunciation |
| 轻 | qīng | light | 工 supplies the sound |
| 红 | hóng | red; popular | 工 supplies the sound |
| 差 | chà | short of; poor, not up to standard; wrong | Work 工 done by a sheep 羊; incompetence |
| 项 | xiàng | [measure word for items stipulated, planned, enumerated, or for an account of facts or events] | 工 supplies the sound |
| 左 | zuǒ | left | A left hand; compare 又 |
| 攻 | gōng | attack; specialise in | 工 supplies the sound |
| 巧 | qiǎo | opportune, by chance; skilful, clever | 丂 supplies the sound |
| 毁 | huǐ | destroy, ruin | A man using a tool 殳 to strike 工 a clay vessel 臼 |
Related Radicals
- 小Small radical · xiǎo12 common characters · small
- 尸Corpse radical · shī15 common characters · corpse; a lying figure
- 山Mountain radical · shān14 common characters · mountain
- 干Dry radical · gān12 common characters · dry; a shield
- 弓Bow radical · gōng8 common characters · a bow (for shooting)
- 彐Snout radical14 common characters · a snout; a pig's head
Create Your Own Chinese Worksheet
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