- Find where the dictionary files it. Unihan's kRSKangXi gives the Kangxi radical number and the residual stroke count — for 陈, radical 170 with 8 residual.
- Take the radical's own character, not the written shape. 阝 is a writing form; the radical is 阜, and 阜 has 8 strokes. The same step turns 氵 into 水(4) and 艹 into 艸(6).
- Add. 阜(8) + 8 = 16. The Kangxi citation (1353.190) says where to check it.
Why these 248 characters, and the two traps this avoids
The characters were not scraped by frequency. Each one is here to test a rule: the twelve radicals that expand to a different character (氵→水, 艹→艸, 阝→阜 or 邑), the 月/肉 distinction, one simplified form with several traditional ones, the numerals, and the hundred commonest surnames. Step two is not an invention of name analysis either — it is a consequence of how the dictionary files things.
Two traps. Unihan's kTotalStrokes is the modern printed count, and it disagrees with the Kangxi derivation for 102 of the 248 characters here — it is not a substitute. And the 月/肉 question cannot be settled by shape: 朝 and 胡 both carry 月 on the right, but 朝 files under 月(74) and 胡 under 肉(130), so they count differently. Only the filing number answers it.
How to read the last column. Three schools assign an element — by radical, by stroke count, by sound — but they do not all speak for every character. The stroke-count school always does; the other two often have nothing to say. So the column counts them: 28 characters have two or more schools judging and agreeing, 189 have two or more judging and disagreeing, and 31 have exactly one school judging — for those, “agree” would mean nothing, and the column says 1/3 instead.
王wáng王玉(5) − 1 = 44?火土2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 玉 — no settled answer(金 or 土 — no settled answer)
- By stroke count
- 王: Kangxi 4, last digit 4 → 火
- By sound
- zero initial · 宫 → 土
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+738B
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 王
- Kangxi radical
- 玉 (5 strokes, radical #96)
李lǐ李木(4) + 3 = 77木火3/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 木 → 木
- By stroke count
- 李: Kangxi 7, last digit 7 → 金
- By sound
- alveolar · 徵 → 火
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+674E
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 李
- Kangxi radical
- 木 (4 strokes, radical #75)
张zhāng張弓(3) + 8 = 1111?木2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 弓 — no settled answer(木 or 金 — no settled answer)
- By stroke count
- 張: Kangxi 11, last digit 1 → 木
- By sound
- sibilant · 商 → 金
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+5F20
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 張
- Kangxi radical
- 弓 (3 strokes, radical #57)
刘liú劉刀(2) + 13 = 1515土火3/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 刀 → 金
- By stroke count
- 劉: Kangxi 15, last digit 5 → 土
- By sound
- alveolar · 徵 → 火
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+5218
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 劉
- Kangxi radical
- 刀 (2 strokes, radical #18)
陈chén陳阜(8) + 8 = 1610土土3/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 阜 → 土
- By stroke count
- 陳: Kangxi 16, last digit 6 → 土
- By sound
- sibilant · 商 → 金
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+9648
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 陳
- Kangxi radical
- 阜 (8 strokes, radical #170)
杨yáng楊木(4) + 9 = 1313木火土3/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 木 → 木
- By stroke count
- 楊: Kangxi 13, last digit 3 → 火
- By sound
- zero initial · 宫 → 土
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+6768
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 楊
- Kangxi radical
- 木 (4 strokes, radical #75)
黄huáng黃黃(12), the radical itself = 1212?木木2/3 agree
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 黃 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 黃: Kangxi 12, last digit 2 → 木
- By sound
- velar · 角 → 木
All three agree — true of only about a quarter of this set.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+9EC4
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 黃
- Kangxi radical
- 黃 (12 strokes, radical #201)
赵zhào趙走(7) + 7 = 1414?火2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 走 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 趙: Kangxi 14, last digit 4 → 火
- By sound
- sibilant · 商 → 金
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+8D75
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 趙
- Kangxi radical
- 走 (7 strokes, radical #156)
吴wú吳口(3) + 4 = 77?土2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 口 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 吳: Kangxi 7, last digit 7 → 金
- By sound
- zero initial · 宫 → 土
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+5434
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 吳
- Kangxi radical
- 口 (3 strokes, radical #30)
周zhōu周ambiguous口(3) + 5 = 88?2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept. This step is a choice, not a derivation — another school picks the first candidate instead and gets a different number.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 口 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 周: Kangxi 8, last digit 8 → 金週: Kangxi 15, last digit 5 → 土賙: Kangxi 15, last digit 5 → 土
- By sound
- sibilant · 商 → 金
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+5468
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 周 週 賙
- Kangxi radical
- 口 (3 strokes, radical #30)
徐xú徐彳(3) + 7 = 1010?水?1/3 only
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 彳 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 徐: Kangxi 10, last digit 0 → 水
- By sound
- j/q/x merged from the velar 见 and sibilant 精 series — modern sound cannot decide between 角 and 商(木 or 金)
All three agree — true of only about a quarter of this set.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+5F90
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 徐
- Kangxi radical
- 彳 (3 strokes, radical #60)
孙sūn孫子(3) + 7 = 1010?水2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 子 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 孫: Kangxi 10, last digit 0 → 水
- By sound
- sibilant · 商 → 金
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+5B59
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 孫
- Kangxi radical
- 子 (3 strokes, radical #39)
马mǎ馬馬(10), the radical itself = 1010?水水2/3 agree
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 馬 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 馬: Kangxi 10, last digit 0 → 水
- By sound
- labial · 羽 → 水
All three agree — true of only about a quarter of this set.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+9A6C
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 馬
- Kangxi radical
- 馬 (10 strokes, radical #187)
朱zhū朱ambiguous木(4) + 2 = 66木土3/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept. This step is a choice, not a derivation — another school picks the first candidate instead and gets a different number.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 木 → 木
- By stroke count
- 朱: Kangxi 6, last digit 6 → 土硃: Kangxi 11, last digit 1 → 木
- By sound
- sibilant · 商 → 金
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+6731
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 朱 硃
- Kangxi radical
- 木 (4 strokes, radical #75)
胡hú胡ambiguous肉(6) + 5 = 119?木木2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept. This step is a choice, not a derivation — another school picks the first candidate instead and gets a different number.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 肉 — no settled answer(土 or 水 — no settled answer)
- By stroke count
- 胡: Kangxi 11, last digit 1 → 木鬍: Kangxi 19, last digit 9 → 水衚: Kangxi 15, last digit 5 → 土
- By sound
- velar · 角 → 木
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+80E1
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 胡 鬍 衚
- Kangxi radical
- 肉 (6 strokes, radical #130)
郭guō郭邑(7) + 8 = 1510?土木2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 邑 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 郭: Kangxi 15, last digit 5 → 土
- By sound
- velar · 角 → 木
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+90ED
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 郭
- Kangxi radical
- 邑 (7 strokes, radical #163)
何hé何人(2) + 5 = 77?木2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 人 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 何: Kangxi 7, last digit 7 → 金
- By sound
- velar · 角 → 木
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+4F55
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 何
- Kangxi radical
- 人 (2 strokes, radical #9)
高gāo高高(10), the radical itself = 1010?水木2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 高 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 高: Kangxi 10, last digit 0 → 水
- By sound
- velar · 角 → 木
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+9AD8
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 高
- Kangxi radical
- 高 (10 strokes, radical #189)
林lín林木(4) + 4 = 88木火3/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 木 → 木
- By stroke count
- 林: Kangxi 8, last digit 8 → 金
- By sound
- alveolar · 徵 → 火
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+6797
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 林
- Kangxi radical
- 木 (4 strokes, radical #75)
罗luō羅网(6) + 14 = 2019?水火2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 网 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 羅: Kangxi 20, last digit 0 → 水
- By sound
- alveolar · 徵 → 火
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+7F57
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 羅
- Kangxi radical
- 网 (6 strokes, radical #122)
郑zhèng鄭邑(7) + 12 = 1914?水2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 邑 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 鄭: Kangxi 19, last digit 9 → 水
- By sound
- sibilant · 商 → 金
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+90D1
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 鄭
- Kangxi radical
- 邑 (7 strokes, radical #163)
梁liáng梁ambiguous木(4) + 7 = 1111木木火3/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept. This step is a choice, not a derivation — another school picks the first candidate instead and gets a different number.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 木 → 木
- By stroke count
- 梁: Kangxi 11, last digit 1 → 木樑: Kangxi 15, last digit 5 → 土
- By sound
- alveolar · 徵 → 火
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+6881
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 梁 樑
- Kangxi radical
- 木 (4 strokes, radical #75)
谢xiè謝言(7) + 10 = 1717??1/3 only
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 言 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 謝: Kangxi 17, last digit 7 → 金
- By sound
- j/q/x merged from the velar 见 and sibilant 精 series — modern sound cannot decide between 角 and 商(木 or 金)
All three agree — true of only about a quarter of this set.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+8C22
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 謝
- Kangxi radical
- 言 (7 strokes, radical #149)
宋sòng宋宀(3) + 4 = 77?2/3 agree
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 宀 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 宋: Kangxi 7, last digit 7 → 金
- By sound
- sibilant · 商 → 金
All three agree — true of only about a quarter of this set.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+5B8B
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 宋
- Kangxi radical
- 宀 (3 strokes, radical #40)
唐táng唐口(3) + 7 = 1010?水火2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 口 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 唐: Kangxi 10, last digit 0 → 水
- By sound
- alveolar · 徵 → 火
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+5510
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 唐
- Kangxi radical
- 口 (3 strokes, radical #30)
许xǔ許言(7) + 4 = 1111?木?1/3 only
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 言 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 許: Kangxi 11, last digit 1 → 木
- By sound
- j/q/x merged from the velar 见 and sibilant 精 series — modern sound cannot decide between 角 and 商(木 or 金)
All three agree — true of only about a quarter of this set.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+8BB8
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 許
- Kangxi radical
- 言 (7 strokes, radical #149)
韩hán韓韋(9) + 8 = 1717?木2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 韋 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 韓: Kangxi 17, last digit 7 → 金
- By sound
- velar · 角 → 木
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+97E9
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 韓
- Kangxi radical
- 韋 (9 strokes, radical #178)
冯féng馮馬(10) + 2 = 1212?木水2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 馬 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 馮: Kangxi 12, last digit 2 → 木
- By sound
- labial · 羽 → 水
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+51AF
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 馮
- Kangxi radical
- 馬 (10 strokes, radical #187)
邓dèng鄧邑(7) + 12 = 1914?水火2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 邑 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 鄧: Kangxi 19, last digit 9 → 水
- By sound
- alveolar · 徵 → 火
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+9093
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 鄧
- Kangxi radical
- 邑 (7 strokes, radical #163)
曹cáo曹曰(4) + 7 = 1111?木2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 曰 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 曹: Kangxi 11, last digit 1 → 木
- By sound
- sibilant · 商 → 金
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+66F9
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 曹
- Kangxi radical
- 曰 (4 strokes, radical #73)
彭péng彭彡(3) + 9 = 1212?木水2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 彡 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 彭: Kangxi 12, last digit 2 → 木
- By sound
- labial · 羽 → 水
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+5F6D
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 彭
- Kangxi radical
- 彡 (3 strokes, radical #59)
曾céng曾曰(4) + 8 = 1212?木2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 曰 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 曾: Kangxi 12, last digit 2 → 木
- By sound
- sibilant · 商 → 金
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+66FE
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 曾
- Kangxi radical
- 曰 (4 strokes, radical #73)
肖xiào肖肉(6) + 3 = 97?水?1/3 only
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 肉 — no settled answer(土 or 水 — no settled answer)
- By stroke count
- 肖: Kangxi 9, last digit 9 → 水
- By sound
- j/q/x merged from the velar 见 and sibilant 精 series — modern sound cannot decide between 角 and 商(木 or 金)
All three agree — true of only about a quarter of this set.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+8096
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 肖
- Kangxi radical
- 肉 (6 strokes, radical #130)
田tián田田(5), the radical itself = 55土土火3/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 田 → 土
- By stroke count
- 田: Kangxi 5, last digit 5 → 土
- By sound
- alveolar · 徵 → 火
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+7530
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 田
- Kangxi radical
- 田 (5 strokes, radical #102)
董dǒng董艸(6) + 9 = 1512木土火3/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 艸 → 木
- By stroke count
- 董: Kangxi 15, last digit 5 → 土
- By sound
- alveolar · 徵 → 火
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+8463
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 董
- Kangxi radical
- 艸 (6 strokes, radical #140)
袁yuán袁衣(6) + 4 = 1010?水土2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 衣 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 袁: Kangxi 10, last digit 0 → 水
- By sound
- zero initial · 宫 → 土
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+8881
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 袁
- Kangxi radical
- 衣 (6 strokes, radical #145)
潘pān潘水(4) + 12 = 1615水土水3/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 水 → 水
- By stroke count
- 潘: Kangxi 16, last digit 6 → 土
- By sound
- labial · 羽 → 水
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+6F58
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 潘
- Kangxi radical
- 水 (4 strokes, radical #85)
于yú于ambiguous二(2) + 1 = 33?火土2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept. This step is a choice, not a derivation — another school picks the first candidate instead and gets a different number.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 二 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 於: Kangxi 8, last digit 8 → 金于: Kangxi 3, last digit 3 → 火
- By sound
- zero initial · 宫 → 土
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+4E8E
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 於 于
- Kangxi radical
- 二 (2 strokes, radical #7)
蒋jiǎng蔣艸(6) + 11 = 1714木?2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 艸 → 木
- By stroke count
- 蔣: Kangxi 17, last digit 7 → 金
- By sound
- j/q/x merged from the velar 见 and sibilant 精 series — modern sound cannot decide between 角 and 商(木 or 金)
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+848B
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 蔣
- Kangxi radical
- 艸 (6 strokes, radical #140)
蔡cài蔡艸(6) + 11 = 1714木3/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 艸 → 木
- By stroke count
- 蔡: Kangxi 17, last digit 7 → 金
- By sound
- sibilant · 商 → 金
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+8521
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 蔡
- Kangxi radical
- 艸 (6 strokes, radical #140)
余yú余ambiguous人(2) + 5 = 77?土2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept. This step is a choice, not a derivation — another school picks the first candidate instead and gets a different number.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 人 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 餘: Kangxi 16, last digit 6 → 土余: Kangxi 7, last digit 7 → 金
- By sound
- zero initial · 宫 → 土
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+4F59
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 餘 余
- Kangxi radical
- 人 (2 strokes, radical #9)
杜dù杜木(4) + 3 = 77木火3/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 木 → 木
- By stroke count
- 杜: Kangxi 7, last digit 7 → 金
- By sound
- alveolar · 徵 → 火
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+675C
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 杜
- Kangxi radical
- 木 (4 strokes, radical #75)
叶yè葉ambiguous艸(6) + 9 = 1512木土土3/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: as a surname this character stands for 葉, so the general rule (keep the character when it is itself a traditional form) is overridden here. This step is a choice, not a derivation — another school picks the first candidate instead and gets a different number.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 艸 → 木
- By stroke count
- 葉: Kangxi 15, last digit 5 → 土叶: Kangxi 5, last digit 5 → 土
- By sound
- zero initial · 宫 → 土
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+53F6
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 葉 叶
- Kangxi radical
- 艸 (6 strokes, radical #140)
程chéng程禾(5) + 7 = 1212木木3/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 禾 → 木
- By stroke count
- 程: Kangxi 12, last digit 2 → 木
- By sound
- sibilant · 商 → 金
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+7A0B
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 程
- Kangxi radical
- 禾 (5 strokes, radical #115)
苏sū蘇ambiguous艸(6) + 16 = 2219木木3/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken. This step is a choice, not a derivation — another school picks the first candidate instead and gets a different number.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 艸 → 木
- By stroke count
- 蘇: Kangxi 22, last digit 2 → 木甦: Kangxi 12, last digit 2 → 木囌: Kangxi 23, last digit 3 → 火
- By sound
- sibilant · 商 → 金
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+82CF
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 蘇 甦 囌
- Kangxi radical
- 艸 (6 strokes, radical #140)
魏wèi魏鬼(10) + 8 = 1817?土2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 鬼 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 魏: Kangxi 18, last digit 8 → 金
- By sound
- zero initial · 宫 → 土
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+9B4F
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 魏
- Kangxi radical
- 鬼 (10 strokes, radical #194)
吕lǚ呂口(3) + 4 = 77?火2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character exists only as a simplification, so the first candidate is taken.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 口 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 呂: Kangxi 7, last digit 7 → 金
- By sound
- alveolar · 徵 → 火
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+5415
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 呂
- Kangxi radical
- 口 (3 strokes, radical #30)
丁dīng丁一(1) + 1 = 22?木火2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 一 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 丁: Kangxi 2, last digit 2 → 木
- By sound
- alveolar · 徵 → 火
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+4E01
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 丁
- Kangxi radical
- 一 (1 strokes, radical #1)
任rèn任人(2) + 4 = 66?土2/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 人 has no agreed element
- By stroke count
- 任: Kangxi 6, last digit 6 → 土
- By sound
- sibilant · 商 → 金
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+4EFB
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 任
- Kangxi radical
- 人 (2 strokes, radical #9)
沈chén沈ambiguous水(4) + 4 = 87水3/3 differ
Forms and counts
Form rule: the character is itself a traditional form, so it is kept. This step is a choice, not a derivation — another school picks the first candidate instead and gets a different number.
五行, three ways
- By radical
- radical 水 → 水
- By stroke count
- 沈: Kangxi 8, last digit 8 → 金瀋: Kangxi 19, last digit 9 → 水
- By sound
- sibilant · 商 → 金
The three schools disagree. That is the finding, not a defect — the table shows all three grounds and picks none.
Metadata
- Codepoint
- U+6C88
- Group
- Surnames
- Traditional
- 沈 瀋
- Kangxi radical
- 水 (4 strokes, radical #85)
How the numbers are worked out 五格三才
Every number is arithmetic on Kangxi stroke counts. The system is not ancient: Kumazaki Kenō (熊崎健翁) set it out in Tokyo in 1929, and it is not in the classical BaZi literature.
- Heaven 天格
- The surname’s strokes. A one-character surname adds 1.
- Person 人格
- Last surname character plus first given character.
- Earth 地格
- The given name’s strokes. A one-character given name adds 1.
- Total 总格
- Every stroke in the name, with no added 1.
- Outer 外格
- Two rules: one by name length, one Total minus Person. When they differ, a name card shows both.
- Three talents 三才
- The last digit of Heaven, Person and Earth read as an element — 1–2 wood, 3–4 fire, 5–6 earth, 7–8 metal, 9–0 water, the order of the ten heavenly stems.
Where the schools differ
- The Outer grid. The two rules are not equivalent. For a one-character surname and a one-character given name, Total minus Person gives 0.
- The added 1. No source explains why it is 1. Some schools leave it out of Outer and Total; some add it only for adults.
- Whether Heaven is read. Kumazaki’s own school does not read it for fortune — it is inherited, not chosen. Most Chinese-language sites score it anyway.
Deliberately missing: the 81-number verdicts. Every site prints them; none cites a source, and published tables contradict each other. We show the numbers and stop there.