<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_H._Mair" rel="nofollow">Victor Mair</a>, the well known sinologist (and occasionally outspoken advocate of pinyin) <a href="http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=3699" rel="nofollow">consistently</a> <a href="http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=3750" rel="nofollow">uses</a> the word <a href="http://pinyin.info/readings/zyg/phonophores.html" rel="nofollow"><em>phonophore</em></a> to describe the phonetic part of the character.</p>

<p>If you start saying <em>"phonophore"</em> too, then there will be upwards of two people using the term. :-)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-21T09:09:53.747Z
2012-06-21T09:09:53.747Z
Stumpy Joe Pete
<p>On <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_character_classification">wiki</a>, this part is defined as "phonetic". I am not familiar with these jargons in English, but I thinks this one is acceptable.</p>

<p>In your case,"艮"(gèn or gěn) is really a character.</p>

<p><strong>Edit: Add Chinese names for this part</strong></p>

<p>We call these characters “形声字”(in modern Chinese, many characters can be classified into this type). 形 means "form", referring to the radical, 声 means "sound", so I think "phonetic" is acceptable to call that part. </p>

<p>In Chinese, we call the "radical" 形旁 and the "phonetic" 声旁. Here, 旁(pang2) means a part.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T06:36:20.833Z
*"In your case,"艮"(gèn or gěn) is really a character."* Yes, but that wasn't I was asking ;)
Orion
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T06:39:16.527Z
I said, you can call such a part "phonetic"
Huang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T06:40:57.087Z
Does it have a Chinese name?
Orion
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T06:41:09.143Z
we call these characters “形声字”, 形 means "form", referring to the radical, 声 means "sound", so I think "phonetic" is acceptable to call that part.
Huang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T06:41:52.933Z
@NullUserException. In Chinese, we call the "radical" 形旁 and "phonetic" 声旁. here， 旁(pang 2) means a part.
Huang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T06:46:25.040Z
Oh great. You might want to add that to your answer :)
Orion
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T06:52:31.700Z
@NullUserException That's good suggestion. I just edited.
Huang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T06:32:14.197Z
2011-12-15T06:51:29.750Z
2011-12-15T06:51:29.750Z
Huang
<p>For example, these characters have different radicals:</p>
<blockquote>
<h2>根 跟 恨 狠</h2>
</blockquote>
<p>But the part of the characters minus the radical is the same.</p>
<p>Does that part (艮 in this case) have a name?</p>

<characters><radicals>
What is the part without the radical called?
# What is the part without the radical called?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2011-12-15)

For example, these characters have different radicals:

> ## 根 跟 恨 狠

But the part of the characters minus the radical is the same.

Does that part (艮 in this case) have a name?

**Tags:** characters, radicals


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2011-12-15. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

On [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_character_classification), this part is defined as "phonetic". I am not familiar with these jargons in English, but I thinks this one is acceptable.

In your case,"艮"(gèn or gěn) is really a character.

**Edit: Add Chinese names for this part**

We call these characters “形声字”(in modern Chinese, many characters can be classified into this type). 形 means "form", referring to the radical, 声 means "sound", so I think "phonetic" is acceptable to call that part.

In Chinese, we call the "radical" 形旁 and the "phonetic" 声旁. Here, 旁(pang2) means a part.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: *"In your case,"艮"(gèn or gěn) is really a character."* Yes, but that wasn't I was asking ;)  
> **username_2**: I said, you can call such a part "phonetic"  
> **username_0**: Does it have a Chinese name?  
> **username_2**: we call these characters “形声字”, 形 means "form", referring to the radical, 声 means "sound", so I think "phonetic" is acceptable to call that part.  
> **username_2**: @NullUserException. In Chinese, we call the "radical" 形旁 and "phonetic" 声旁. here， 旁(pang 2) means a part.  
> **username_0**: Oh great. You might want to add that to your answer :)  
> **username_2**: @NullUserException That's good suggestion. I just edited.  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2012-06-21. Score: 1

[Victor Mair](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_H._Mair), the well known sinologist (and occasionally outspoken advocate of pinyin) [consistently](http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=3699) [uses](http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=3750) the word [*phonophore*](http://pinyin.info/readings/zyg/phonophores.html) to describe the phonetic part of the character.

If you start saying *"phonophore"* too, then there will be upwards of two people using the term. :-)


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