Difficult Cangjie Characters (難拆字): How to Type 凹, 凸, 為, 飛, 龜 and More

The characters that trip up every Cangjie learner, grouped by the reason they are hard, with the code for each and the pattern behind it.

Group 1: shapes that use X (難)

The X key stands for shapes no radical can describe. The most important is the 臼-like shape, coded HX: 丿 (H) plus the difficult part (X). Once you recognise it, a whole family of characters becomes easy.

Other common X shapes include the centre of 齊 YX卜難, the body of 肅 LX中難, the tops of 兼 TXC廿難金 and 鹿 IXP戈難心, and the right side of 插 QHJX手竹十難 and 搜 QHXE手竹難水.

Group 2: pictographic shapes

Some characters are drawings rather than combinations of parts. 凹 (concave) and 凸 (convex) are the classic examples: their outlines are read as a sequence of 尸-like turns.

凹 SSU尸尸山 reads as two 尸 turns and a 山-like base. 凸 BSS月尸尸 starts with a covering frame (B) followed by two 尸 turns. 巨 SS尸尸 and 臣 SLSL尸中尸中 follow the same 尸 logic.

Group 3: single-unit characters with crossing strokes

These cannot be split into head and body, so they take first, second, third and last radicals. The difficulty is seeing radicals inside tangled strokes.

• 我 HQI竹手戈: 丿 (H), a 手-like shape (Q), and 戈 (I).
• 為 IKNF戈大弓火: dot (I), a ナ-like cross (K), a hook (N) and 灬 (F).
• 年 OQ人手: a 人-like top (O) and a 手-like body (Q).
• 必 PH心竹: 心 (P) plus the sweeping 丿 (H).
• 世 PT心廿: a 心-like base (P) with 廿 (T).

Group 4: characters with repeated or symmetrical parts

爽 KKKK大大大大 is 大 followed by its crosses, all on K. 喪 GRRV土口口女 and 哀 YRHV卜口竹女 split around their centres: the outer shape frames the inner 口 parts.

Group 5: memorise these

A few codes are best learned as whole units:

龜 NXU弓難山 also has a second code in the dictionary (龜 HBSS), and several of these differ between Cangjie versions. See Cangjie 3 vs Cangjie 5.

A strategy for any hard character

1. Try the rules first and write down your guess.
2. Check the character in the dictionary and compare.
3. Find the component that surprised you, then look for two other characters containing it. If they follow the same pattern, you have learned a shape rather than a single code.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

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