What Exactly Is “彡” (shān)?

In Chinese, “彡” is commonly viewed as a radical (or component) of certain characters. It looks like three vertical strokes and originally related to hair or decorative patterns. Nowadays, you often see it in characters conveying ideas of ornamental lines, hair, or other pattern-like elements. Simply put, whenever you encounter “彡” within a Chinese character, it usually points to something like hair-like strands or decorative streaks.

Common Examples
• 须 (xū): This character means “facial hair” or “beard.” The left side, “彡,” indicates something related to hair.
• 形 (xíng): In older script forms, “形” sometimes included traces of “彡” to suggest decorative or patterned lines.

How Do You Translate “彡” into English?

There isn’t a single-word equivalent in English. If you need to explain it, you can use “hair-like lines,” “decorative stripes,” or “a radical indicating hair/patterns.” It doesn’t stand alone as an English word, but rather serves as a visual or structural component to help interpret Chinese characters.

Conclusion

If you come across “彡” while studying or reading Chinese, just remember it usually connects to hair, stripes, or ornamental patterns. The exact meaning depends on the context of the character that contains “彡,” which helps you figure out how it contributes to that character’s overall sense.