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Radical families: what the left side means
CN-1 Characters make senseX-1 Guess, then check
What many people think
A radical means exactly what it looks like: 月 always means the moon.
The idea
A meaning radical names a category, often in an older form: 月 in 肚 脸 腿 is flesh (肉), not the moon; 王 in 玩 珠 球 is jade (玉); 衤 is clothing but 礻 is worship.
Explain it
A friend says 胖 (fat) must have something to do with the moon. Explain why not — and give a character whose 月 really is the moon.
Try at home
Find characters with 月, 王 or 衤/礻 on the side in a picture book or on packets. Sort them into body / moon, jade, clothing / gods, then check with an adult or a dictionary.