Studying Kanji:

Radicals: Kinds

History of Radicals: “It all started when the book was published in China around the time of Christ. Characters were indexed via 540 radicals. More than 1,500 years later (when Benjamin Franklin was a wee lad of 10, still 16 years before George Washington was born), the influential was published, classifying some 42,000 kanji via 214 radicals. These 214 ``traditional radicals'' are still commonly used today.”

Ref. Site: (http://www.df.lth.se/cgi-bin/j-e/radical.html?SASE=/cgi-bin/j-e/glossary.html )

What is a Radical?

A radical (bushu) is a common sub-element found in different kanji characters. Every kanji has a radical or a radical itself can be a kanji. Radicals express the general nature of the kanji characters. A radical is the part of the kanji character that gives you a clue to its origin, group, meaning or pronunciation. Many kanji dictionaries organize characters by their radicals.

There are 214 radicals. Don't worry about learning all of them! I doubt most Japanese can recognize and name them all. However, if you memorize some of the important radicals, they will help you to figure out the meanings of many kanji.

Radicals are roughly divided into seven groups (hen, tsukuri, kanmuri, ashi, tare, nyou, and kamae) by their positions.

hen tsukuri kanmuri ashi tare nyou kamae

About Hen

The "hen" are found at the left side of a kanji characters. Here are common radicals that take the "hen" position and some sample kanji characters.

Ninben (person)　

Tsuchihen (earth)

Onnahen (woman)

Gyouninben (going man)

Risshinben(heart)

Tehen (hand)

Kihen (tree)

Sanzui (water)

Hihen (fire)

Ushihen (cow)

Shimesuhen

Nogihen (two branch tree)

Itohen (thread)

Gonben (word)

Kanehen (metal)

Kozatohen

(Reference Site: http://japanese.about.com/library/weekly/aa070101a.htm)

About Tsukuri

Rittou (sword)　

Nobun (folding chair)　

Akubi (gap)

Oogai (page)

About Kanmuri

Ukanmuri (crown)

Takekanmuri (bamboo)

Kusakanmuri (grass)

Amekanmuri (rain)

(Reference Site: http://japanese.about.com/library/weekly/aa070801a.htm )

About Ashi

Hitoashi (human legs)

Kokoro (heart)

Rekka (fire)

About Tare

Shikabane (flag)　昼

Madare (dotted cliff)

Yamaidare (sick)

About Nyou

Shinnyou (road)

Ennyou (long stride)

About Kamae

Kunigamae(box)

Mongamae (gate)

(Reference Site: http://japanese.about.com/library/weekly/aa071501a.htm )

Studying Kanji

Radicals: Complete Lists

1画 One-Stroke Radicals

1. 一 One; Ceiling or floor

2. ｜ Rod, Stick, Line; Lameness

3. 丶 Drop, Dot

4. ノ No (katakana)

5. 乙 Second    乚 乱 Fishhook (right)

6. 亅 Feathered stick, barb

2画 Two-Stroke Radicals

1. 二 Two

2. 亠 Kettle, Lid

3. 人 Person   个 Person (top)

4. 化 Person (left)

5. 全 Roof (upper)

6. 儿 Human Legs

7. 入 Enter

8. 八 Eight

9. 冂 Inverted (down) box

10. 冖 Wa crown, Cover

11. 冫 Ice

12. 几 Table, wind

13. 凵 Open box

14. 刀 Sword, Knife

15. 刂 刈 Standing sword

16. 力 Power

17. 勹 Wrap

18. ヒ Spoon

19. 匚 Box on side

20. 十 Ten, Cross

21. 卜 Divining rod, Prophesy

22. 卩 Seal, Joint, Stamp 犯 Crooked seal (right)

23. 厂 Cliff

24. 厶 Myself, Elbow, Private

25. 又 Again

26. 了 Finish, End

27. マ Ma (katakana)

28. 首 Horns (upper)

29. 九 Nine

30. 个 Umbrella (top)

31. ハ Animal legs, Eight

32. 右 左 By one's side (upper), longer stroke drawn second

3画 Three-Stroke Radicals

1. 口 Mouth

2. 囗 Enclosure, Box

3. 土 Earth

4. 士 Gentleman, Scholar, Samurai

5. 夂 Go, Winter, Descend

6. 夕 Evening

7. 大 Big

8. 女 Woman

9. 子 Child

10. 宀 Shaped crown, House

11. 寸 Measure, Small, Inch

12. 小 Small

13. 当 Small (top)

14. 京 Small (bottom)

15. 学 Owl (top)

16. 尢 Crooked leg, Big

17. 尸 Corpse, Flag

18. 山 Mountain

19. 川 巛 River

20. 工 Craft, Work

21. 已 Self, Snake

22. 巾 Cloth

23. 干 Dry, Oppose

24. 幺 Short thread

25. 广 Dotted cliff, Cave

26. 廴 Stretch, Long stride

27. 廾 Twenty legs

28. 弋 Ceremony

29. 弓 Bow, Archery

30. ヨ Pig's head

31. 彡 Short hair, Ornament

32. 彳 Going man

33. 艾 Grass (top)

34. 込 Road (under)

35. 阝 防 Village (left)

36. 阝 邦 Village (right)

37. 首 Horns (top)

38. 扌 打 Fingers

39. 忄 忙 Heart

40. 氵 汁 Water

41. 犭 犯 Animal

42. 花 Flower (top)

4画 Four-Stroke Radicals

1. 心 Heart

2. 戈 Spear, festival

3. 戸 Door, family

4. 手 Hand

5. 支 Branch, support

6. 攵 Literature

7. 文 Literature

8. 斗 Big Dipper, sake

9. 斤 Axe, 1 lb

10. 方 Direction

11. 日 Sun

12. 曰 Flat sun, say, reason

13. 月 Moon, body

14. 月(肉) Meat

15. 木 Tree

16. 欠 Yawning, lack, vacancy

17. 止 Stop

18. 歹 Death

19. 殳 Windy-again

20. 毋 Mother (also see)

21. 比 Compare

22. 毛 Hair, feather

23. 氏 Family name

24. 气 Steam

25. 水 Water

26. 火灬 点 Fire

27. 父 Father

28. 片 One-sided, leaf

29. 牛 Cow

30. 犬 Dog

31. 王 King

32. 礻 礼 Show (left) (See 示 below)

33. 者 Old man (top)

5画 Five-Stroke Radicals

1. 瓦 Tile

2. 甘 Sweet

3. 生 Life, birth

4. 用 Use, service

5. 田 Rice field

6. 疋 Animal counter

7. 疒 疔 Sickness

8. 癶 Departing head

9. 白 White

10. 皮 Skin, leather

11. 皿 Plate

12. 目 Eye, class

13. 矛 Spear

14. 矢 Arrow

15. 石 Stone

16. 示 Show (See 礼 above)

17. 禾 Branch tree

18. 穴 Hole

19. 立 Stand up

20. 罒 買 Net

21. 母 Mother (also see)

22. 初 Clothes (left)

23. 氺 Rice grains

24. 衤 Cloak

6画 Six-Stroke Radicals

1. 竹 Bamboo

2. 米 Rice

3. 糸 Thread

4. 缶 Container

5. 羊 Sheep

6. 羽 Feather

7. 而 Rake

8. 耒 Plow

9. 耳 Ear

10. 肉 Meat

11. 自 Oneself

12. 至 Climax, arrive

13. 舌 Tongue

14. 舟 Boat

15. 色 Color

16. 虍 Tiger

17. 虫 Insect

18. 血 Blood

19. 行 Going

20. 衣 Clothes

21. 西 West

22. 艮 Good

7画 Seven-Stroke Radicals

1. 見 Seeing

2. 角 Angle, corner

3. 言 Word, speech

4. 谷 Valley

5. 豆 Bean

6. 豕 Pig

7. 貝 Shell

8. 赤 Red

9. 走 Run

10. 足 Leg, foot

11. 身 Body

12. 車 Car, wheel

13. 辛 Bitter

14. 辰 Small dragon

15. 酉 Sign of the bird

16. 釆 Separate, divide

17. 里 Village

18. 臣 Minister, subject

8画 Eight-Stroke Radicals

1. 金 Gold, money

2. 長 Long, leader

3. 門 Gate

4. 隶 Servant

5. 隹 Old bird

6. 雨 Rain

7. 青 Blue, green

8. 非 Negative

9. 臣 Minister, subject

9画 Nine-Stroke Radicals

1. 几 Face, mask

2. 革 Leather

3. 音 Sound

4. 頁 Page

5. 飛 Flying, skip

6. 食 Food, eat

7. 首 Neck

8. 香 Fragrance

9. 風 Wind

10. 品 Goods

10画 Ten-Stroke Radicals

1. 馬 Horse

2. 骨 Bone

3. 高 High, expensive

4. 髟 Long hair

5. 鬼 Demon

6. 竜 Dragon

11画 Eleven-Stroke Radicals

1. 魚 Fish

2. 鳥 Bird 高校

3. 鹿 Deer

4. 麻 Hemp

5. 黄 Yellow

6. 黒 Black

(Ref. Site: http://infohost.nmt.edu/~armiller/japanese/kanjiradical.htm )

1 Stroke

1. 一 いち one个 ぼう rod no SJIS glyph

2. 丶 てん dot丿 てん kana-no

3. 乙 おつ fish hook亅 はねぼう feathered stick barb

2 Strokes

4. 二 に two亠 なべぶた lid

5. 人 ひと person儿 にんにょう human legs

6. 入 いる enter八 はちがしら eight

7. 冂 まきがまえ display case冖 わかんむり wa-shaped crown

8. 冫 にすい water drops几 つくえ table table enclosure

9. 凵 うけばこ open box enclosure刀 かたな sword

10. 力 ちから strong勹 つつみがまえ wrapping

11. 匕 さじのひ spoon匚 はこがまえ sideways box

12. 十 じゅう cross卜 ぼくのと divining rod

13. 卩 ふしづくり seal厂 がんだれ cliff

14. 厶 む myself又 また furthermore

3 strokes

15. 口 くち mouth囗 くにがまえ box

16. 土 つち earth士 さむらい samurai

17. 夂 ふゆがしら descend夂 ふゆがしら descend

18. 夕 ゆうべ evening大 だい big

19. 女 おんな woman子 こ child

20. 宀 うかんむり crown寸 すん glue

21. 小 ちいさい little尢 まげあし crooked-big

22. 尸 しかばね flag屮 てつ old grass

23. 山 やま mountain巛 まがりがわ crooked river

24. 工 たくみ craft己 おのれ snake

25. 巾 はば cloth干 はす dry

26. 幺 いとがしら short thread广 まだれ dotted cliff

27. 廴 いんにょう long stride廾 にじゅうあし twenty

28. 弋 しきがまえ ceremony弓 ゆみ bow

29. ヨ けいがしら pig head彡 さんづくり tuft

30. 彳 ぎょうにんべん going man

4 Strokes

31. 心 りっしんべん heart戈 かのほこ halberd

32. 戸 とびらのと door手 て hand

33. 支 しんよう branch攴 ぼくづくり folding chair

34. 文 ぶんにょう sentence斗 とます dipper

35. 斤 おの axe方 ほう direction

36. 无 むにょう crooked heaven日 にち sun

37. 日 にち sun月 つき moon

38. 木 き tree欠 あくび gap

39. 止 とめる stop歹 がつへん death

40. 殳 ほこつくり windy again毋 なかれ mother

41. 比 くらべるひ race毛 け wool

42. 氏 うじ clan气 きがまえ spirit

43. 水 みず water火 ひ fire

44. 爪 つめ claw父 ちち father

45. 爻 めめ double X爿 しょうへん left-side kata

46. 片 かた one-sided leaf sheet牙 きばへん fang

47. 牛 うし cow犬 いぬ dog

5 Strokes

48. 玄 げん mysterious玉 うし jewel

49. 瓜 うり melon瓦 かわら tile

50. 甘 あまい sweet生 うまれる life

51. 用 もちいる use田 た rice field

52. 疋 ひき head count疔 やまいだれ sick no SJIS glyph

53. 癶 はつがしら dotted tent白 しろ white

54. 皮 けがわ hide皿 さら dish

55. 目 め eye矛 むのほこ halberd

56. 矢 や arrow石 いし stone

57. 示 しめす show禹 うのあし mu in box no SJIS glyph

58. 禾 のぎ two branch tree穴 あな slit

59. 立 たつ stand

6 Strokes

60. 竹 たけ bamboo米 こめ rice

61. 糸 いと thread缶 ほとぎ can

62. 网 あみがしら net crown羊 ひつじ sheep

63. 羽 はね feathers老 おい old man

64. 而 しかして rake耒 らいすき three branch tree

65. 耳 みみ ear聿 ふでづくり writing brush

66. 肉 にく meat臣 しん retainer

67. 自 みずから oneself至 いたる climax

68. 臼 うす mortar舌 した tongue

69. 舛 ます dancing舟 ふね ship

70. 艮 うしとら good色 いろ color

71. 艸 くさ grass虍 とらかんむり tiger crown

72. 虫 むし bug血 ち blood

73. 行 ぎょう journey衣 ころも clothing

74. 襾 にし west

7 Strokes

75. 見 みる see角 つの corner

76. 言 ことば say谷 たに valley

77. 豆 まめ bean豕 いのこ pig

78. 豸 むじな badger貝 かい shellfish

79. 赤 あか red走 はしる run

80. 足 あし foot身 み station in life

81. 車 くるま car辛 からい spicy hot

82. 辰 しんのたつ sign of the dragon辷 しんにゅう road

83. 邑 むら right village酉 ひよみのとり sake

84. 釆 のごめ dice里 さと village

8 Strokes

85. 金 かね metal長 ながい long

86. 門 もん gate阜 ぎふのふ left village

87. 隶 れいづくり slave隹 ふるとり old bird

88. 雨 あめ rain青 あう blue green

89. 非 あらず injustice

9 Strokes

90. 面 めん face革 かくのかわ leather pelt

91. 韋 なめしがわ tanned leather韭 にら leek

92. 音 おと sound頁 おおがい page

93. 風 かぜ wind飛 とぶ flying

94. 食 しよく food首 くび neck

95. 香 においこう smell

10 Strokes

96. 馬 うま horse骨 ほね bone

97. 高 たかい high髟 かみがしら long hair

98. 鬥 とうがまえ broken gate鬯 ちよう fragrant herbs

99. 鬲 かく tripod鬼 おに devil

11 Strokes

100. 魚 うお fish鳥 とり bird

101. 鹵 ろ salt鹿 しか deer

102. 麥 むぎ wheat麻 あさ flax

13 Strokes

103. 黄 きいろ yellow黍 きび millet

104. 黒 くろ black黹 ふつ sewing

105. 黽 べん green frog鼎 かなえ three legged kettle

106. 鼓 つづみ drum beat鼠 ねずみ mouse

14

107. 鼻 はな nose齊 せい equal

15

108. 齒 は tooth

16

109. 龍 りゅう dragon龜 かめ turtle

17

110. 龠 やく flute

(Reference Site: http://japanese.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.nuthatch.com/kanji/demo/strokes.html )