Wu Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Stone (shí) 礊 Kangxi stroke count: 18 Page 837, Entry 16 Pronounced kai (rising tone) Pronounced kai (rising tone), sound is identical to the character meaning an empty vessel. Shuowen Jiezi (Explaining Simple and Analyzing Compound Characters) defines this as hard. Also, pronounced huai (falling tone), sound is identical to the character meaning the sound of a whip striking.