Bushu – Radicals – Structures of Kanji and their variants

The kanji are classified in dictionaries according to their main components. These components are called Radical in English and 部首 (bushu) in Japanese. Its original name in Japanese is composed of 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 from several radicals, to some extent yes. However, each kanji only has one radical which is its head. This radical may or may not relate 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:

• 時 – 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 radical of this kanji is “hand” 扌 – The meaning of the kanji is “to hold”,

Did you notice that the radical for hand 扌 is not the same as 手. This is because not all radicals are being used in the Japanese language, most 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

The radicals are usually classified by the position they occupy in the kanji, knowing this position will facilitate their 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)	surrounds the kanji from outside to inside
たれ (tare)	covers the kanji from top to bottom.
にょう (nyou)	left side encompassing also the bottom part of the kanji.

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

What are the benefits of knowing the Radicals of Japanese?

It is important to have knowledge of these elements that compose the kanji, so it becomes easier to find a certain 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 will stop seeing only 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 the radicals. See 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 for it. You can use the radical search on the jisho website or on Windows itself in a feature called IME Pad, which can be accessed by right-clicking on the Japanese language keyboard icon in the Windows taskbar.

Table with Radicals of Japanese

Below we have a table with the main radicals, the number of strokes, a meaning, and their position in Japanese. Remembering that the meanings of the radicals are quite varied, do not cling to that, it is just an informative meaning.

Strokes	Radical	Position	Meaning	Notes
1	⼀		one, horizontal stroke
1	⼁		vertical stroke
1	⼂		dot
1	⼃		stroke for a diagonal stroke
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		enter
2	⼋		eight
2	⼌	けいがまえ	include
2	⼍	かんむり	covering, 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
2	⼔	つくり	spoon
2	⼕		box
2	⼖	はこがまえ	hide, 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		the following
3	⼢	あし	go slowly
3	⼣		night
3	⼤		big, large
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		sprout
3	⼭		mountain
3	⼮		meandering river
3	川		river	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, slight
3	⼴	たれ	slanted roof	important
3	⼵	にょう	to move, stretch
3	⼶	あし	the folded hands
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, rays of light
3	⼻	へん	step, step, street, go	important
3	⺾	かんむり	grass	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	hand	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		hand
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 Dipper, shell, 18 liters
4	⽄	つくり	axe
4	⽅		direction, flag
4	⽆		no
4	⽇		sun, day, hour
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		to lack, yawn
4	⽌		to stop
4	⽍		death and die, to decompose
4	⽎	つくり	shaft of a spear, 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		fire
4	⺣	あし	fire	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		father
4	⽘		to mix
4	⽙	へん	wood of division
4	⽚		wood of division
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		jewels
5	⽡		tile
5	⽢		sweet
5	⽣		birth, to be born, alive
5	⽤		to use
5	⽥		rice field
5	⽦		piece of cloth
5	⺪	へん	piece of cloth	variant of ⽦（ひき）
5	⽧	たれ	disease	important
5	⽨	かんむり	open legs, departure
5	⽩		white
5	⽪		skin, to hide
5	⽫		dish, bowl
5	⽬		eye
5	⽭		halberd
5	⽮		arrow
5	⽯		stone
5	⽰		altar, festival, religious service
5	⽱		footprint
5	⽲	へん	grain	important
5	⽳		hole, cave
5	⽴		to 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		no	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		thread
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	plowed
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, quern
6	⾆		tongue
6	⾇		opposite, to 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	to go	important
6	⾐		clothing
6	⾑		cap, to the west
6	⻃		cap, to the west	variant of ⾑（にし）
6	⽠		melon	variant of ⽠（うり）
7	⾨		gate, door
7	⾩		hill
7	⾪	つくり	to capture
7	⾫		small bird
7	⾬		rain
7	⻗	かんむり	rain	variant of ⾬（あめ）important
7	⾭		blue, green
7	⻘		blue, green	variant of ⾭（あお）
7	⾮		wrong, no
7	⻟	へん	food, to eat	variant of ⾷（しょく）
7	⻫		similar	variant of ⿑（せい）
8	⾦		metal, gold, mineral
8	⻑		long
8	⾨	もんがまえ	gate, door
8	⾩		hill
8	⾪	つくり	to capture
8	⾫		small 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, to eat	variant of ⾷（しょく）
8	⻫		similar	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, to eat
9	⾸		head
9	⾹		perfume
10	⾺		horse
10	⾻		bone
10	⾼		high
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		deer
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		to embroider
12	⻭		tooth	variant of ⿒（は）
13	⿌		frog
13	⿍		tripod
13	⿎		drum
13	⿏		mouse, rat
14	⿐		nose
14	⿑		similar
15	⿒		tooth
16	⿓		dragon
16	⿔		turtle
17	⿕		flute