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The “米” and “人” Layout

The left-hand key area takes the “米” (rice) glyph as its basic structure, and the right-hand key area takes the “人” (person) glyph. Both 米 and 人 are essences nurtured by heaven and earth. The people depend on food; people grow rice, and rice sustains people — left and right complement each other. Reading the text below carefully will help learners quickly memorize most radicals and start typing right away.

Q	W 丶	E 丨	R 丿	T	Y	U 门	I 人 八	O 鱼	P
A	S 一	D米 二〢 巜 冫丷	F 三	G	H	J 手 	K 口 彳	L 戈 乚
Z	X 彡 巛	C 川	V 氵 灬	B	N	M

Left-Hand Side

• S, D, and F sit on the horizontal stroke zone of the “米” glyph:
  • S is “一”,
  • D is “二”,
  • F is “三”;
• E, D, and C sit on the vertical stroke zone:
  • E is “丨”,
  • D is “〢”,
  • C is “川”;
• R, D, and X sit on the left-falling stroke zone:
  • R is “丿”,
  • D is “巜”,
  • X is “彡巛”;
• W, D, and V sit on the right-falling stroke zone:
  • W is “丶”,
  • D is “冫丷”,
  • V is “氵灬”.

Right-Hand Side

• The I key is named after “人”;
• The J key sits in the left-falling stroke zone of the “人” glyph
  • its strokes are mainly the left-falling stroke (丿),
  • plus the leftward-wrapping structural stroke “”;
• The L key sits in the right-falling stroke zone of the “人” glyph
  • its strokes are mainly the right-falling stroke,
  • plus the rightward-wrapping structural stroke “乚”; (the strokes “” and “乚” correspond to the English letters “J” and “L”)
• The middle K key holds “口” and “彳”; (the four keys J, I, K, L form a perfectly symmetrical structure in the middle)
• In English, “I” means “me”; splitting “我” (me) into “手” (hand) and “戈” (halberd) and placing them on the J and L keys gives J the name “手” and L the name “戈”.
• Flanking the I key are the U key “门” (gate) and the O key “鱼” (fish), symbolizing “the carp leaping over the dragon gate” — a sign of soaring success and rising step by step.

The 9 keys of the “米” glyph and the 3 keys of the “人” glyph each further evolve a rich set of radicals on top of their basic structure.

Yin-Yang and the Five Elements

The radical table also incorporates the theory of “Yin-Yang and the Five Elements.” These seven elements are the philosophical core of the Chinese characters. When all are present, they circulate and repeat, generating and overcoming one another, forming the magnificent cultural system of the Chinese characters.

Q 金	W	E	R	T	Y 火	U	I	O	P
A	S	D	F 日	G 土	H	J	K	L	；
Z	X	C	V 水	B	N 月	M 木	，	。

An English reading of the Song of the Five Elements:

Water moistens downward, fire blazes upward, wood bends and straightens, metal yields and transforms, earth is for sowing and reaping. 
Wood governs growth, fire governs ascent, earth governs bearing, metal governs reaping-in, water governs storage. 
The liver belongs to wood, the heart to fire, the spleen to earth, the lungs to metal, the kidneys to water. 
Sour enters wood, bitter enters fire, sweet enters earth, pungent enters metal, salty enters water. 
The east is wood, the south is fire, the center is earth, the west is metal, the north is water. 
Wood is green, fire is red, earth is yellow, metal is white, water is black.

Original Chinese:

水曰润下，火曰炎上，木曰曲直，金曰从革，土爰稼穑。
木主生发，火主升腾，土主承载，金主肃敛，水主归藏。
肝属木，心属火，脾属土，肺属金，肾属水。
酸入木，苦入火，甘入土，辛入金，咸入水。
东方木，南方火，中央土，西方金，北方水。
木曰青，火曰赤，土曰黄，金曰白，水曰黑。

• The “日” (sun) on the F key represents Yang;
• The “月” (moon) on the N key represents Yin (yang above, yin below, echoing each other);
• The “金” (metal) on the Q key;
• The “木” (wood) on the M key;
• The “水” (water) on the V key;
• The “火” (fire) on the Y key;
• The “土” (earth) on the G key.

Alphabetic Pictography

Some radicals are set according to the pictographic shapes of English letters, as shown in the table.

Q	W	E 彐	R	T 厂	Y	U 门	I	O	P
A	S	D	F 日	G	H 艹 目	J 丁	K	L 乙
Z 之	X 㐅	C	V	B 耳	N 月	M

• H takes the pictographic shapes of “艹” and “目”;
• B takes the pictographic shape of “耳” (keen ears and sharp eyes);
• Z takes the pictographic shape of “之”;
• X takes the pictographic shape of “㐅”;
• T takes the pictographic shape of “厂”;
• U takes the pictographic shape of “门”;
• E takes the pictographic shape of “彐”;
• F takes the pictographic shape of “日”;
• N takes the pictographic shape of “月”;
• J takes the pictographic shape of “丁”;
• L takes the pictographic shape of “乙”.

Directional Orientation

The four directional orientations of the open-frame radical are shown in the table.

• “凵” opens upward, on the E key;
• “冂” opens downward, on the C key;
• “” opens left, on the S key;
• “匚” opens right, on the F key.

Q	W	E 凵山屮	R	T	Y	U	I	O	P
A	S 	D	F 匚	G	H	J	K	L	；
Z	X	C 冂几巾	V	B	N	M	，	。

Distribution of Numeral Radicals

The distribution of the numeral radicals is shown in the table.

Q	W	E	R	T	Y 六	U	I 八	O	P
A	S 一	D 二	F 三 五	G 十 千	H	J	K	L 七 九	；
Z	X	C 四	V	B	N 百 万	M	，	。

Note: 四 (four) = 囗 (C) + 儿 (Q); 百 (hundred) = 丆 (N) + 日 (F).

Primary and Secondary Key Names

Each key is given a “primary name” and a “secondary name.” Because the radicals on each key resemble the key’s names, memorizing the primary and secondary names essentially memorizes all the radicals.

Primary Key Names

Q 金	W 言	E 山	R 牛	T 厂	Y 火	U 门	I 人	O 鱼	P 衣
A 女	S 石	D 米	F 日	G 土	H 目	J 手	K 口	L 戈	；
Z 马	X 母	C 田	V 水	B 耳	N 月	M 木	，	。

Secondary Key Names

Q 金 鸟	W 言 方	E 山 足	R 牛 气	T 厂 户	Y 火 立	U 门 光	I 人 八	O 鱼 文	P 衣 瓜
A 女 弓	S 石 酉	D 米 工	F 日 丰	G 土 千	H 目 开	J 手 刀	K 口 井	L 戈 虫	;
Z 马 豕	X 母 㐅	C 田 川	V 水 雨	B 耳 也	N 月 犬	M 木 贝	,	.

Mnemonics for the Key Names

Each mnemonic below links the primary (and secondary) name of a key into a vivid image; the red characters are the key names. (Chinese original kept for its rhythm and cultural flavor.)

• Q：金乌（鸟）高鸣
• W：他方来言
• E：足登高山
• R：牛气冲天
• T：厂大户多
• A：美女良弓
• S：奇石美酒（酉）
• D：男耕（米）女织（工）
• F：日照丰登
• G：沃土千顷
• Z：马走豕突
• X：母夜叉（㐅）
• C：银川绕田
• V：雨水济济
• B：耳熟详也
• Y：肉立火旁
• U：门缝偷光
• I：八仙（人）过海
• O：三文鱼
• P：穿衣（衤）吃瓜
• H：开天目
• J：手握大刀
• K：一口井
• L：持戈战大虫
• ；
• N：黑犬吞月
• M：木结参贝
• ，
• 。

Animal Radicals

Q 鸟	W	E	R 牛	T	Y	U	I	O 鱼	P
A	S	D	F	G	H	J	K	L 虫
Z 马 豕	X	C	V	B	N 犬	M

Natural-Element Radicals

Q 金	W	E 山	R	T	Y 火	U 光	I	O	P
A	S 石	D 米	F 日	G 土	H 艹	J	K	L	；
Z	X	C 田 川	V 水	B	N 月	M 木	，	。

Body Radicals

Q	W	E 心足	R	T	Y	U	I 人	O	P
A 女	S	D	F	G	H 目	J 手	K 口	L	；
Z	X 母	C	V	B 耳	N	M	，	。

Summary

English paraphrase of the Feng-Shui landscape:

Left-hand area — mountains to the north, a great river to the south watering fertile fields; strange rocks and fine melodies, fine wine and lovely ladies to the west; fertile soil and men of letters to the east under a rising sun; cattle, horses, and birds all around, with a good bow at hand; in the center, an abundant harvest of the five grains.

Right-hand area — swords and halberds guard the flanks, a well at the center, a bright moon hanging heavy, a loyal dog watching the courtyard, a thriving family, summer insects humming, melons and fruits fragrant, ample food and clothing, a flourishing culture, and fish leaping over the dragon gate.

Original Chinese:

左手区风水格局：北靠大山；南临大川，水泽沃田；西有奇石良曲、美酒（酉）佳人（女）；东有沃土千顷，才人士子，旭日东升；牛马鸟兽（豸、豕）环绕，良弓在侧；中间五谷（米）丰登。

右手区风水格局：左右刀戈护卫，水井居中，明月沉沉，忠犬护院，人丁兴旺，夏虫低吟，瓜果飘香，丰衣足食（饣），文教兴盛，鱼跃龙门。

Under the protection of such marvelous Feng Shui, those who use this input method long-term carry it like a talisman: fortune will turn their way, their fingers will fly across the keys as if by magic, they will soar to success, their careers will prosper, and blessings will reach all under heaven.