<p>In my opinion, 三点水 and shui3 are all correct names for 氵, so for 饣.</p>

<p>Actually, 氵is also 水, just in another face. 
You can know this by comparing Chinese Seal Character(小篆)
河:<a href="http://www.zdic.net/z/1c/zy/6CB3.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.zdic.net/z/1c/zy/6CB3.htm</a>
水:<a href="http://www.zdic.net/z/1c/zy/6C34.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.zdic.net/z/1c/zy/6C34.htm</a></p>

<p>三点水 is more formal, shui3 is most used in computer world.</p>

<p>Hope my explanation can help you understand this further.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-13T04:38:02.580Z
1. `水` isn't used only in the computer world. instead, it's rarely used. 2. `水`/`水部` is much more formal than `三点水`. look at 《说文解字》 河 从水可聲.
Mike Manilone
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-10T02:48:12.857Z
2014-01-10T02:48:12.857Z
夏至夕陽
<p>They are called 部首. And, in antique dictionaries like 康熙字典, they are referred to as 部. It is very formal and scholarly to address the whole bunch of characters containing 氵 or 水(at the bottom) or other parts showing links to 水 as 水部. The logic here is ''the original character of the radical' + 部', following the rules of <strong>classical</strong> Chinese.</p>

<p>However, in everyday life, when we describe how to write an unfamiliar character or admiring calligraphy, we cannot address both 氵 and 水 as 水, because they are too vague for radicals in different positions. Popular names are called for, and here I enclose a list of popular name for radicals found on wikipedia.</p>

<p><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%83%A8%E9%A6%96#.E5.81.8F.E6.97.81.E7.9A.84.E4.BF.97.E7.A8.B1" rel="nofollow">Popular Names for Radicals(Chinese)</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-12T03:23:18.863Z
2014-01-13T05:50:56.123Z
2014-01-13T05:50:56.123Z
Joseph S WU
<p>As a native Chinese speaker, My teacher told me that <code>氵</code> called <code>三点水</code> and <code>饣</code> called <code>食字旁</code>.</p>

<p>Actually, we never call <code>氵</code> as <code>水</code>. It's a little strange. The <a href="http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Chinese_%28Mandarin%29/Radicals" rel="nofollow">link wikibooks</a> you gave is exactly the right answer to your question.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-13T04:19:46.993Z
`水` is never called in daily life. However, `水` is much more formal than `三点水`.
Mike Manilone
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-13T04:23:39.563Z
@MikeManilone when we call radicals we never call it 水.
einverne
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-23T15:00:48.543Z
I call it `水部` or `X字从水` :-)
Mike Manilone
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-11T13:25:56.663Z
2014-01-11T13:25:56.663Z
einverne
<p>The wiki link is correct. 氵is 三点水 and 饣is 食字旁. I don't think [citation needed] 氵is a character with a real meaning. Didn't find it in the Kangxi Dictionary. I only use its pinyin "shui3" when I want to type it with a pinyin input method.</p>

<p>P.S. Almost all characters with the radical 氵is about water(河 river, 海 sea, 洋 ocean), and water(水) is pronounced shui3. And 饣-shi2-食 is about food/diet.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-09T11:12:01.803Z
2014-01-09T11:12:01.803Z
arax
<p>I noticed the kangxi radicals all have two ways that people refer to them.
For example: <code>氵</code> is sometimes called <code>shuǐ</code>, sometimes called 三点水. <code>饣</code> is sometimes called <code>shí</code> or 食字旁.</p>

<p>What are the correct names for the radicals as radicals?</p>

<p>there's lots of these on <a href="http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Chinese_%28Mandarin%29/Radicals" rel="nofollow">Wikibooks</a> and in the other way at <a href="http://www.archchinese.com/arch_chinese_radicals.html" rel="nofollow">archchinese.com</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-12T03:07:56.407Z
三点水 or 水字旁 both indicates radical names. `三点` helps you visualize the radical. `字旁` means the radical's position is at the side. `字头` means it is at the top.
杨以轩
<radicals>
What are the radical names?
# What are the radical names?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-01-09)

I noticed the kangxi radicals all have two ways that people refer to them.
For example: `氵` is sometimes called `shuǐ`, sometimes called 三点水. `饣` is sometimes called `shí` or 食字旁.

What are the correct names for the radicals as radicals?

there's lots of these on [Wikibooks](http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Chinese_%28Mandarin%29/Radicals) and in the other way at [archchinese.com](http://www.archchinese.com/arch_chinese_radicals.html).

**Tags:** radicals

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 三点水 or 水字旁 both indicates radical names. `三点` helps you visualize the radical. `字旁` means the radical's position is at the side. `字头` means it is at the top.  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-01-10. Score: 3

In my opinion, 三点水 and shui3 are all correct names for 氵, so for 饣.

Actually, 氵is also 水, just in another face.
You can know this by comparing Chinese Seal Character(小篆)
河:<http://www.zdic.net/z/1c/zy/6CB3.htm>
水:<http://www.zdic.net/z/1c/zy/6C34.htm>

三点水 is more formal, shui3 is most used in computer world.

Hope my explanation can help you understand this further.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: 1. `水` isn't used only in the computer world. instead, it's rarely used. 2. `水`/`水部` is much more formal than `三点水`. look at 《说文解字》 河 从水可聲.  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2014-01-12. Score: 3

They are called 部首. And, in antique dictionaries like 康熙字典, they are referred to as 部. It is very formal and scholarly to address the whole bunch of characters containing 氵 or 水(at the bottom) or other parts showing links to 水 as 水部. The logic here is ''the original character of the radical' + 部', following the rules of **classical** Chinese.

However, in everyday life, when we describe how to write an unfamiliar character or admiring calligraphy, we cannot address both 氵 and 水 as 水, because they are too vague for radicals in different positions. Popular names are called for, and here I enclose a list of popular name for radicals found on wikipedia.

[Popular Names for Radicals(Chinese)](http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%83%A8%E9%A6%96#.E5.81.8F.E6.97.81.E7.9A.84.E4.BF.97.E7.A8.B1)


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### Answer by username_5 on 2014-01-11. Score: 1

As a native Chinese speaker, My teacher told me that `氵` called `三点水` and `饣` called `食字旁`.

Actually, we never call `氵` as `水`. It's a little strange. The [link wikibooks](http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Chinese_%28Mandarin%29/Radicals) you gave is exactly the right answer to your question.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: `水` is never called in daily life. However, `水` is much more formal than `三点水`.  
> **username_5**: @MikeManilone when we call radicals we never call it 水.  
> **username_3**: I call it `水部` or `X字从水` :-)  

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### Answer by username_6 on 2014-01-09. Score: -1

The wiki link is correct. 氵is 三点水 and 饣is 食字旁. I don't think [citation needed] 氵is a character with a real meaning. Didn't find it in the Kangxi Dictionary. I only use its pinyin "shui3" when I want to type it with a pinyin input method.

P.S. Almost all characters with the radical 氵is about water(河 river, 海 sea, 洋 ocean), and water(水) is pronounced shui3. And 饣-shi2-食 is about food/diet.


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