Bushu - Radicals - Kanji structures and their variants

Kanji are classified in dictionaries according to their main components. These components are called in English Radical and in Japanese 部首 (bushu). Its original name in Japanese is composed with the kanji 部, which means division, section, group, and with the kanji 首, which means head or neck.

The Radicals are kanji or elements that are found in the structure of an ideogram. Many think that a kanji is formed by various radicals, up to the point yes. However, each kanji has only one radical that is its head. This radical may or may not be related to the final meaning of the kanji word. The radicals are not named and not all have their own meaning, currently there are about 214 radicals.

How is a Kanji formed using radicals? See below radicals being applied and forming different Kanji:

• The radical of this kanji is "sun" 日 - The meaning of the kanji is "time";
• 詩 - The radical of this kanji is "word" 言 - The meaning of the kanji is "poetry, poem";
• 持 - The root of this kanji is "hand" 扌 - The meaning of the kanji is "to hold",

You observed that the radical de mão 扌 is not the same as 手. Isso é because not all radicals are being used in the Japanese language, a maioria are used only to form the kanji. You should also know that Japanese is full of ideograms that have the same meaning.

Classification of Radicals - Position

Radicals are usually classified by the position they are in the kanji, knowing this position will make them easier to use.

Japanese	Position
へん (hen)	left side
つくり (tsukuri)	right side
かんむり (kanmuri)	on top
あし (ashi)	below
かまえ (kamae)	surround the kanji from the outside in
たれ (tare)	covers the kanji from top to bottom.
にょう (nyou)	left side also encompassing the underside of the kanji.

The image below will show examples of kanji and the positions of their stems.

What are the benefits of knowing Japanese Radicals?

It is important to have knowledge of these elements that make up the kanji, so that it becomes easier to find a specific kanji in a dictionary and even understand the essence of its meaning.

Another advantage is that over time, you will be able to identify meaning in the ideograms and stop seeing just strokes. Knowledge of these elements helps you remember the kanji and its meaning.

We know that several words in the Japanese language are the combination of kanji, for example: 手紙 (letter) is the combination of the ideograms for hand (手) and paper (紙). The same thing happens with radicals. Here are some examples:

• The Kanji and Radical 木 (tree) can become 林 (grove) and 森 (forest);
• The Kanji and Radical 木 together with 几 (table) form the kanji 机 (desk / work table)

Imagine that you found a kanji and do not know its meaning or how to look it up. You can use the radical search on the jisho site or the one built into Windows in a resource called IME Pad, which can be accessed by right-clicking the Japanese language keyboard icon in the Windows taskbar.

Table with Japanese radicals

Below we have a table with the main radicals, the number of dashes, a meaning and their position in Japanese. Remembering that the meanings of the radicals are quite varied, don't get attached to it's just an informative meaning.

traits	Radical	Position	Meaning	Grades
1	⼀		one, horizontal stroke
1	⼁		vertical stroke
1	⼂		Score
1	⼃		stroke diagonal scan
1	⼄		the second
1	⺃		the second	variant of ⼄（おつ）
1	⼅		vertical stroke with a hook
2	⼆		two
2	⼇	かんむり	cap, top
2	⼈		person
2	⺅		person	variant of ⼈（ひと）important
2	?	かんむり	person	variant of ⼈（ひと）
2	⼉		human legs	important
2	⼊		log in
2	⼋		oito
2	⼌	けいがまえ	include
2	⼍	かんむり	cover, crown	important
2	⼎	へん	ice
2	⼏		table
2	⺇	かんむり	wind	variant of ⼏（きにょう）
2	⼐		container, open box
2	⼑		knife, sword
2	⺉	つくり	knife, sword	variant of ⼑（かたな）important
2	⼒		power
2	⼓		wrap up
2	⼔	つくり	Spoon
2	⼕		box
2	⼖	はこがまえ	hide
2	⼗		ten
2	⼘		oracle
2	⼙	つくり	stamp, a seal
2	⼚		cliff	important
2	⼛		private, Katakana Mu
2	⼜		again the right hand
3	⼝		mouth
3	⼞	くにがまえ	border, territorial borders	important
3	⼟		Earth
3	⼠		man scholar samurai
3	⼡		Next
3	⼢	あし	Go slow
3	⼣		night
3	⼤		big big
3	⼥		woman
3	⼦		child, son
3	⼧	かんむり	roof house	important
3	⼨		inch (2.25 cm)
3	⼩		small
3	⺌	かんむり	small	variant of ⼩（しょう）
3	⺐	つくり	lame leg
3	⼫	たれ	corpse, awning
3	⼬		bud
3	⼭		Mountain
3	⼮		winding river
3	川		rio	variant of ⼮（まがりがわ）
3	⼯		work, carpenter, skill
3	⼰		ego
3	⼱		cloth
3	⼲		dry, shield
3	⺓		young, light
3	⼴	たれ	sloping roof	important
3	⼵	にょう	to move, stretch
3	⼶	あし	hands folded
3	⼷		dart
3	⼸		bow (in archery)
3	⼹		Pig's head
3	⺕		Pig's head	variant of ⼹（けいがしら）
3	⺔		Pig's head	variant of ⼹（けいがしら）
3	⼺	つくり	hair-style, the rays of light
3	⼻	へん	step, step, street, go	important
3	⺾	かんむり	gram	variant of ⾋（くさ）important
3	⻌	にょう	road on foot advance	variant of ⾡（しんにょう）important
3	⻏	つくり	village, country, city	variant of ⾢（むら）important
3	⻖	へん	hill, mound	variant of ⾩（こざと）important
3	⺍	かんむり	katakana Tsu
3	⺖	へん	heart, mind, spirit	variant of ⼼（こころ）important
3	⺘	へん	mão	variant of ⼿（て）important
3	⺡	へん	Water	variant of ⽔（みず）important
3	⺨	へん	beast	variant of ⽝（いぬ）important
4	⼼		heart, mind, spirit
4	⺗	あし	heart, mind, spirit	variant of ⼼（こころ）
4	⼽		spear weapon
4	⼾		door
4	⼿		mão
4	⽀		branch
4	⽁	つくり	activity, to strike, hit
4	⺙	つくり	activity, to strike, hit	variant of ⽁（ぼくづくり） important
4	⽂		literature, letters
4	⽃	つくり	Big Bear, shell, 18 liters
4	⽄	つくり	Axe
4	⽅		direction flag
4	⽆		não
4	⽇		sun, day, time
4	⽈		to say
4	⽉		moon, month, period
4	⺝	へん	moon, month, period	variant of ⽉（つき）
4	⽊		tree, wood
4	⽋		missing, yawn
4	⽌		to stop
4	⽍		death and dying, decompose
4	⽎	つくり	boom shaft action
4	⽏		no mother
4	⽐		to compare
4	⽑		hair
4	⽒		family, clan
4	⽓		steam, air
4	⽔		Water
4	⽕		fogo
4	⺣	あし	fogo	variant of ⽕（ひ）important
4	⽖		claw nail
4	⺤	かんむり	claw nail	variant of ⽖（つめ）
4	爫	かんむり	claw nail	variant of ⽖（つめ）
4	⽗		dad
4	⽘		mix
4	⽙	へん	split wood
4	⽚		split wood
4	⽜		cow
4	⽝		dog
4	⺭	へん	altar, festival, religious service	variant of ⽰（しめす）
4	㓁		liquid	variant of ⽹（あみ）
4	⺹	かんむり	age, old age	variant of ⽼（おいかんむり）
5	⽞		darkness
5	⽟		jewelry
5	⽡		roof tile
5	⽢		sweet
5	⽣		birth, live
5	⽤		usar
5	⽥		paddy field
5	⽦		piece of fabric
5	⺪	へん	piece of fabric	variant of ⽦（ひき）
5	⽧	たれ	illness	important
5	⽨	かんむり	open legs match
5	⽩		white
5	⽪		skin hide
5	⽫		plate, bowl
5	⽬		eye
5	⽭		halberd
5	⽮		seta
5	⽯		stone
5	⽰		altar, festival, religious service
5	⽱		footprint
5	⽲	へん	grain	important
5	⽳		hole, cave
5	⽴		rest
5	氺		Water	variant of ⽔（みず）
5	⺫	かんむり	liquid	variant of ⽹（あみ）
5	?		liquid	variant of ⽹（あみ）
5	⻂	へん	clothing	variant of ⾐（ころも）important
5	⺛		não	variant of ⽆（むにょう）
6	⽵		bamboo
6	⺮	かんむり	bamboo	variant of ⽵（たけ）important
6	⽶		rice
6	⽷		wire
6	⽸		clay jar
6	⽹		liquid
6	⽺		sheep
6	⺷		sheep	variant of ⽺（ひつじ）
6	羽		feather, wing
6	⽻		feather, wing	variant of 羽（はね）
6	⽼		age, old age
6	⽽		and also
6	⽾	へん	plow
6	⽿		ear
6	⾀		writing brush
6	⾁		meat, meats
6	⾂		retainer minister
6	⾃		ego
6	⾄		to arrive
6	⾅		mortar, whether
6	⾆		Language
6	⾇		otherwise, err
6	⾈		ship, boat
6	⾉		limit
6	⾊		color
6	⾋		grass, plant
6	⾌	かんむり	tiger
6	⾍		worm, insect
6	⾎		blood
6	⾏	ぎょうがまえ	go	important
6	⾐		clothing
6	⾑		cover, west
6	⻃		cover, west	variant of ⾑（にし）
6	⽠		melon	variant of ⽠（うり）
7	⾒		"see"
7	⾓		horn, corner
7	⾔		words say say
7	⾕		okay
7	⾖		bean
7	⾗		pig
7	⾘	へん	badger
7	⾙		shell, property, wealth
7	⾚		red
7	⾛		run
7	⾜		foot leg
7	⻊	へん	foot leg	variant of ⾜（あし）important
7	⾝		body
7	⾞		vehicle, wheel, car
7	⾟		bitter
7	⾠		sign Thursday, 7-9 AM
7	⾡		to advance, advance
7	⾢		community
7	⾣		Bird
7	⾤		break apart
7	⾥		village, (km 3.93)
7	⾂		retainer minister	variant of ⾂（しん）
7	⻨		wheat	variant of ⿆（むぎ）important
8	⾦		metal, gold, mineral
8	⻑		far away
8	⾨	もんがまえ	gate, door
8	⾩		hill
8	⾪	つくり	capture
8	⾫		little bird
8	⾬		rain
8	⻗	かんむり	rain	variant of ⾬（あめ）important
8	⾭		blue green
8	⻘		blue green	variant of ⾭（あお）
8	⾮		wrong, no
8	⻟	へん	food, eat	variant of ⾷（しょく）
8	⻫		like	variant of ⿑（せい）
9	⾯		face, surface
9	⾰		leather
9	⾲		leek
9	⾳		sound, noise
9	⾴	つくり	head page	important
9	⾵		wind
9	⾶		to fly
9	⾷		food, eat
9	⾸		head
9	⾹		perfume
10	⾺		horse
10	⾻		bone
10	⾼		tall
10	⾽	かんむり	long hair
10	⾾	もんがまえ	fight
10	⾿		herbs
10	⿀		tripod
10	⿁		demon
10	⾱		leather	variant of （なめしがわ）
11	⿂		fish
11	⿃		Bird
11	⿄		salt
11	⿅		Hart
11	⿆		wheat
11	⿇		hemp
11	⻩		yellow	variant of ⿈（き）
11	黒		black	variant of ⿊（くろ）
11	⻲		turtle	variant of ⿔（かめ）
12	⿈		yellow
12	⿉		millet
12	⿊		black
12	⿋		embroider
12	⻭		tooth	variant of ⿒（は）
13	⿌		frog
13	⿍		tripod
13	⿎		drum
13	⿏		rato, rato
14	⿐		nose
14	⿑		like
15	⿒		tooth
16	⿓		Dragon
16	⿔		turtle
17	⿕		flute