Hi everyone,
I've learned tons of useful stuffs with the phonetics maps (thanks Goulniky, Henning and Changye etc.) but I can't find anything about the radicals in Chinespod. Whether or not they should be taught and how is probably worth a thread on its own, but I find that knowing them at the very least is useful, if not necessary, to look up unknown characters in a dictionary.

this online dictionary http://www.zdic.net/zd/bs/ (all in Chinese) offers the choice of 2 sets of radicals, the simplified modern set and the traditional Kangxi ones (also used in Japanese if i'm not mistaken, Changye?). 

Now, wouldn't it be great if there was a way to combine the phonetic maps with radicals in a way similar to the excellent http://www.visualthesaurus.com/

That'd be an amazing feature for Chinespod, wouldn't it (wink)?

zhǔ 'dot'

Strokes: 1 Examples: 之 为 头

yī 'one'

Also means a, an

Strokes: 1 Examples: 于 下 上

shù 'down'

Strokes: 1 Examples: 中 北 冉

piě 'left'

Strokes: 1 Examples: 九 乃 千

yǐ 'twist'

Also: 乛 乚, the top and side of 刁

Also means Heavenly Stem, an old character for Fish Guts.

Strokes: 1 Examples: 乞 乡 以

Sources: http://www.kzxy.com.cn/Article/ArticleShow.asp?ArticleID=17116#%E4%B8%80%E7%94%BB%EF%BC%885%EF%BC%89 / William McNaughton Reading and Writing Chinese. Tuttle Langauge Library / http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Index:Chinese_radical#1_stroke / http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/pagoda/3847/flux/radscheme.htm

For this post I've included the 笔画/bǐhuà for each 部首/bùshǒu. The animated stroke order will match the 笔画 order. For example, the Radical below is 一 (héng) followed by丨(shù), making 十 (shí)

To get the 笔画 for the previous two Radical posts, see HERE

Tip: Saying the bǐhuà out loud while writing a bùshǒu really does help in remembering the stroke names and the all important stroke order.

shí 'ten'

Strokes: 2 Examples: 古 考 毕

笔画/bǐhuà: héng shù

chǎng 'factory/slope'

Strokes: 2 Examples: 历 厄 厉

笔画： héng piě

fāng 'basket'

Strokes: 2 Examples: 匹 巨 匝

笔画: héng shù zhé

Although this Radical has only two strokes there are three parts, héng shù zhé. Zhé isn't counted as a stroke, only a part of a stroke.

bǔ 'divine'

卜 is a picture or representation of the divination cracks in ancient Oracle Bones.

Also the top part of 占

Strokes: 2 Examples: 外 卧 卦 

笔画: shù diǎn

dāo 'side of, abbreviation of knife'

Strokes: 2 Examples: 刚 创 刎

笔画: shù shù gōu

As with the basket Radical fāng, this Radical has only two strokes, yet there are three parts, shù shù gōu. Gōu isn't counted in the stroke count.

Sources: http://www.kzxy.com.cn/Article/ArticleShow.asp?ArticleID=17116#%E4%B8%80%E7%94%BB%EF%BC%885%EF%BC%89 / http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Index:Chinese_radical#1_stroke / http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php / William McNaughton's Reading and Writing Chinese. Tuttle Language Library

jiōng 'borders'

Strokes: 2 Examples: 冉 同 肉

笔画： shú héng zhé gōu.

Although this Radical has four bǐhuà, it has only two strokes. Héng zhé gōu are counted as one stroke as the pen or brush shouldn't leave the paper while writing it.

bā 'eight'

Also 丷

Strokes: 2 Examples: 公 分 兰

笔画： piě nà. 丷 uses diǎn then piě

rù 'enter'

入 and 人 (below) are together as one Radical.

Strokes: 2 Examples: 入 汆 兪

笔画： piě nà.

rén 'person'

亻 also means 'person,' but a 'male person' as in 他，compared with 她.

Strokes: 2 Examples: 令 从 介 / 仆 仇 仍

笔画： piě nà. 亻 uses piě then shù

bāo 'wrap'

Strokes: 2 Examples: 勿 勾 够

笔画： piě héng zhé gōu

bǐ 'ladle'

Strokes: 2 Examples: 化 北 匙

笔画： piě shù wān gōu

I thought I would end this post by sharing this very endearing word one of my Chinese friends taught me recently: 心电感应 (xīn-heart diàn-electric gǎn-feel yìng-answer/respond).

In one dictionary this word comes up as Telepathie, however, I asked her for the Chinese equivalent of Connect, as in that special connection you have with some one you love. 

心电感应 not only sounds beautifully poetic, but its sentiments in each part really do sum up and capture the idea of that special connection of hearts and souls we sometimes share. 

Sources: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Index:Chinese_radical#1_stroke / http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php / http://www.kzxy.com.cn/Article/ArticleShow.asp?ArticleID=17116#%E4%B8%80%E7%94%BB%EF%BC%885%EF%BC%89 / William McNaughton's Reading and Writing Chinese. Tuttle Language Library

dāo 'knife'

Strokes: 2 Examples 切 召 兔

笔画： piě hěngzhégōu

ér 'son'

Strokes: 2 Examples 元 允 兄

笔画: piě shùwāngōu

jǐ 'table'

Strokes: 2 Examples 凡 凤 凳

笔画: piě héngshùwāngōu

means how many, a few or several

sī 'cocoon'

Strokes: 2 Examples 去 台 牟

笔画: piězhé diǎn

Means Selfish or Private. "A silkworm in its cocoon; implies complete immersion in self" www.chinese-characters.org

yòu 'right-hand'

Strokes: 2 Examples 友 反 双

笔画: héngpiě nà

Compare with top of 左, zuǒ, left

Sources: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Index:Chinese_radical / http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/pagoda/3847/flux/radscheme.htm / http://www.kzxy.com.cn/Article/ArticleShow.asp?ArticleID=17116#%E4%B8%80%E7%94%BB%EF%BC%885%EF%BC%89 / Reading and Writing Chinese William McNaughton Tuttle Language Press

I find that I can memorize a character better if I can name and write the radicals that compose it.  The problem is, I often forget the name and the stroke order, which basically means I don't remember the radical.

Does anyone know where to find online, free directions on how to write the most common 214 radicals, and what their names are?  I can never find a decent site when I do Google searches.

Note: I'm not looking for general guidelines for stroke order.  I know that.

Thanks in advance