Building BlocksWhole-character focus
水
water
Learn this shape as a complete character first. Later, recognize its smaller role inside other characters.
Chinese proficiency standard (2021) · Character Level 1One useful unitNo need to force 水 into two characters. Its meaning and familiar shape come first.
LOOK & REMEMBER
A whole shape
Hide the English meaning when you want to test your recall.
水Standalone character · 水
water
Use the recall card when you want to check the meaning without seeing the answer first.
Checking for a Mandarin voice…
ONE CHARACTER, TWO FORMS
From 水 to 氵
Select either form to see its role. 氵 is a component, not a separate HSK character entry.
水 is the complete character. Learn its shape and meaning as one useful unit.
THREE REAL EXAMPLES
The clue travels well
The same 氵 appears in all three, while each whole character keeps its own meaning and reading.