壳 Strokes Write it Listen 壳 qiào · ké shell; carapace; crust (earth's crust etc) HSK 7–9 7 strokes Radical 士 Ideograph 2 words Built from士shìscholar, gentleman; soldier冗rǒngexcessive; superfluous How it worksA shell discarded 冗 by a soldier 士.