Radical 竹 – Bamboo

Memory tipTwo bamboo sprigs with drooping leaves; on top it becomes ⺮. Characters with ⺮ relate to bamboo and bamboo-made things: 笔 (pen – bristles on a bamboo stick), 筷 (chopsticks), 篮 (basket), 箱 (box), 答 (answer – replies written on bamboo slips), 算 (calculate – bamboo counting rods).