The 214 Kanji radicals are technically classifiers as they are not always etymologically correct,[1] but since linguistics uses that word in the sense of "classifying" nouns (such as in counter words), dictionaries commonly call the kanji components radicals. As dictionaries have moved from textbooks to interactive screens, the term "radicals" seems to now be used for any kanji component used in a visual search.
Most common radicals
There are two readings for a kanji: On'yomi and Kun'yomi. On'yomi is a reading derived from the Chinese way of reading, Kun'yomi is the original Japanese reading.
The six radicals that occur the most frequently[2] (in order of frequency)[3] and make up 25% of the 2136 Jōyō kanji:
口 (くち) (3 strokes)
mouth, opening
(not to be confused with box radical 囗)
Kun: くち
On: コウ、 ク
水/氵 (みず) (4/3 strokes)
water
Kun: みず、 みず-
On: スイ
木 (き) (4 strokes)
tree
Kun: き、 こ-
On: ボク、 モク
人/亻 (ひと) (2 strokes)
person, human
Kun: ひと、 -り、 -と
On: ジン、 ニン
手/扌 (て) (4 strokes)
hand
Kun: て、 て-、 -て、 た-
On: シュ、 ズ
心/忄/⺗ (こころ) (4 strokes)
heart radical, spirit, mind
Kun: こころ、 -ごころ
On: シン
Fourteen radicals that together with the above make up 50% of Jōyō kanji:
言 (こと) (7 strokes)
word, say, speech / to speak
Kun: い.う、 こと
On: ゲン、 ゴン
日 (ひ, ニチ) (4 strokes)
sun, day, Sunday, time, counter for days
Kun: ひ、 -び、 -か
On: ニチ、 ジツ
糸 (いと) (6 strokes)
silk/thread
Kun: いと
On: シ
幺 (いとがしら) (3 strokes)
(a variant of ⽷)
short thread radical
Kun: ちいさい
On: ヨウ
肉 (にく) (6 strokes)
meat/organ, flesh
Kun: しし
On: ニク
月 (つき) (4 strokes)
moon, month, Monday, period, counter for months
Kun: つき
On: ゲツ、 ガツ
土 (つち) (3 strokes)
ground, soil, earth, ground, Turkey
Kun: つち
On: ド、 ト
⻌ (しんにょう) (3 strokes)
(a variant of ⾡)
go/road radical, walk, to advance
艹 (艸/草/くさ) (3 strokes)
grass/plant radical
宀 (屋根/やね, ウ/ウ冠/うかんむり) (3 strokes)
roof/crown radical, roof (house), shaped crown
On: ベン、 メン
貝 (かい) (7 strokes)
shell, property, wealth
Kun: かい
On: バイ
女 (おんな, ジョ) (3 strokes)
woman / female
Kun: おんな、 め
On: ジョ、 ニョ、 ニョウ
阝 (⻖/阜/こざと) (⻏/邑/おおざと) (3 strokes)
wall/hill/village radical (left side)
large village radical (right side) place, left village radical, country, city
Kun: こざと
金 (かね/キン) (8 strokes)
gold/metal, mineral
Kun: かね、 かな-、 -がね
On: キン、 コン、 ゴン
Thirty-two radicals that together with the above make up 75% of Jōyō kanji:
一 (イチ/いち) (1 stroke)
one
Kun: ひと-、 ひと.つ
On: イチ、 イツ
刀/刂 (かたな, トウ) (2 strokes)
knife, sword
Kun: かたな、 そり
On: トウ
Variants: 刂 (つくり) right side of the kanji
十 (ジュウ, と) (2 strokes)
ten, complete
Kun: とお、 と、 そ
On: ジュウ、 ジッ、 ジュッ
田 (た, デン) (5 strokes)
rice field / rice paddy
Kun: た
On: デン
Variants: 田 (へん) left side of the kanji
火/灬 (ひ, カ) (4 strokes)
fire
Kun: ひ、 -び、 ほ-
On: カ
Variants: 火 (へん), 灬 (あし) left side of the kanji, bottom of the kanji
大 (おお, ダイ) (3 strokes)
big, very
Kun: おお-、 おお.きい、 -おお.いに
On: ダイ、 タイ
山 (やま, サン) (3 strokes)
mountain
Kun: やま
On: サン、 セン
Variants: 山 (へん), かんむり left side of the kanji, top of kanji
食 / 飠 (しょく) (9 strokes)
eat, food, to eat
Kun: く.う、 く.らう、 た.べる、 は.む
On: ショク、 ジキ
Variants: 食=飠 (へん) left side of the kanji
車 (くるま) (7 strokes)
vehicle, cart, car, wheel
Kun: くるま
On: シャ
Variants: 車 (へん) left side of the kanji
彳 (行人/ぎょうにん) (3 strokes)
walking/going person radical , stop, linger, loiter, ,step, stride, street, to go
Kun: たたず.む
On: テキ
Variants: 彳 (へん), ⾏ (かまえ) left side of the kanji, enclose the kanji
目 (め) (5 strokes)
eye radical, class, look, insight, experience, care favor
Kun: め、 -め、 ま-
On: モク、 ボク
Variants: 目 (へん), 目 (かんむり), left side of the kanji, top of kanji
雨 (あめ) (8 strokes)
rain
Kun: あめ、 あま-、 -さめ
On: ウ
Variants: 雨 (かんむり) top of kanji
犬 / 犭 (いぬ, ケン) (4/3 strokes)
dog
Kun: いぬ、 いぬ-
On: ケン
Variants: 犭 (へん) left side of the kanji
王 (おう) (4 strokes)
king radical, rule, magnate
On: オウ、 -ノウ
玉 (たま) (5 strokes)
ball, jewel / jewelry
Kun: たま、 たま-、 -だま
On: ギョク
石 (いし) (5 strokes)
stone
Kun: いし
On: セキ、 シャク、 コク
Variants: 石 (へん) left side of the kanji
力 (ちから) (2 strokes)
power radical, strength, strong, strain, bear up, exert
Kun: ちから
On: リョク、 リキ、 リイ
衣/衤 (ころも) (6/5 strokes)
garment, clothing / clothes, dressing
Kun: ころも、 きぬ、 -ぎ
On: イ、 エ
Variants: 石=衤(へん) left side of the kanji
弓 (ゆみ) (3 strokes)
bow ( in archery, violin )
Kun: ゆみ
On: キュウ
Variants: 弓(へん) left side of the kanji
竹/⺮ (たけ) (6 strokes)
bamboo
Kun: たけ
On: チク
Variants: ⺮ (かんむり) on the top of kanji
又 (また) (2 strokes)
again, right hand, on the other hand
Kun: また、 また-、 また.の-
On: ユウ
⽁ / 攵 (のぶん) (4 strokes)
action radical, folding chair radical, strike, activity, to strike, hit
On: ホク
Variants: ⽁ (つくり), 攵 (つくり) on the right side of the kanji
夂 (ふゆがしら) (3 strokes)
winter radical, to follow, late, delayed
Kun: しゅう
On: チ
示/礻 (しめす) (5/4 strokes)
show on an altar radical, altar, festival, religious service, indicate, point out, express, display
Kun: しめ.す
On: ジ、 シ
Variants: 示=礻 (へん) the left side of the kanji
酉 (とり) (7 strokes)
bird radical, wine / alcohol, sake jar, bird, west, sign of the bird, 5-7PM, tenth sign of Chinese zodiac
Kun: とり
On: ユウ
Variants: 酉 (へん) left side of the kanji
囗 (くに) (3 strokes)
(not to be confused with mouth radical 口)
box, or enclosure radical
On: イ、 コク
Variants: 囗 = (かまえ) enclose the kanji
禾 (いね) (5 strokes)
grain radical, two-branch tree radical
Kun: いね
On: カ
Variants: 禾 = (へん) left side of the kanji
广 (間/ま) (3 strokes)
building / house on a cliff radical, slanting roof
On: ゲン
Variants: 广 = (たれ) Radicals which "hang down"
疒 (病/やまい) (5 strokes)
sickness radical / trailing sickness radical
Kun: や.む
On: ダク、 ニャク、 ソウ、 ジョウ、 シツ
Variants: 疒 = (たれ) Radicals which "hang down"
巾 (きん/はば) (3 strokes)
cloth radical, towel, hanging scroll, width,
Kun: おお.い、 ちきり、 きれ
On: キン、 フク
Variants: 巾 (へん) left side of the kanji
尸 (かたしろ, シ) (3 strokes)
flag, corpse radical, remains
Kun: かたしろ
On: シ
Variants: 尸 = (たれ) Radicals which "hang down"
寸 (すん) (3 strokes)
inch (2.25 cm)/sundial, measurement, tenth of a shaku, a little, small degree radical
On: スン
Variants: 寸 (つくり) on the right side of the kanji
Table of kanji radicals
Table key
Position category:
へん (hen) - left ◧ - radical forms the left component of a kanji.
つくり (tsukuri) - right ◨ - radical forms the right component of a kanji.
かんむり (kanmuri) - top ⊤ - radical forms the top component of a kanji.
あし (ashi) - bottom ⊥ - radical forms the bottom component of a kanji.
かまえ (kamae) - wrap ⿴ - radical encloses the other kanji components.
たれ (tare) - top-left ⿸ - radical forms the left and top components of a kanji.
にょう (nyou) - bottom-left ⿺ - radical forms the left and bottom component of a kanji.
Either left or right ◫ - radical can form either the left or right component of a kanji.
Notes
This is a simplified list, so the reading of the radical is only given if the kanji is used on its own.
Example kanji for each radical are all jōyō kanji, but some examples show all jōyō (ordered by stroke number) while others were from the Chinese radicals page with non-jōyō (and Chinese-only) characters removed.
No radicals with more than 12 strokes are listed as they are not as common and can all be formed from the other components.
The radicals are listed in the same basic order that the Kanji radicals are listed except for the two and three-stroke radicals which are in a more visual order.
Entries with an upside-down exclamation mark (¡) are possibly made up "radicals," meaning only one online dictionary was found to use them (Tangorin Online).
Possible additions: (Note that the examples below show all the jōyō kanji examples)
List of radicals that form common jōyō kanji and are a part of the Table of Japanese kanji radicals page but do not appear here. All jōyō kanji examples for each radical are listed.
Radical
Strokes
Hiragana-Romaji
Meaning
Category
Examples
巛
3
かわ-kawa
river
巡 災 拶
屮
3
てつ-tetsu
sprout
(屯) 逆 塑 遡
片
4
かた-kata
(a) slice
片 版
支
4
しにょう-shinyō
branch
支 伎 岐 技 肢 枝 鼓
禸
5
ぐうのあし-gūnoashi
track
偶 遇 隅 属 愚 璃 嘱 離
矛
5
むのほこ-munohoko
spear, halberd
矛 柔 務 野 霧
玄
5
げん-gen
dark, profound
玄 弦 畜 舷 率 蓄
瓦
5
かわら-kawara
tile
瓦 瓶
牙
5
きばへん-kibahen
fang
牙 邪 芽 既 雅 慨 概
竹
6
たけ-take
bamboo
笑 第 等 簡
西
6
にし-nishi
west
西 要
色
6
いろ-iro
colour, prettiness
色 絶 艶
瓜
6
うり-uri
melon
孤 弧
臼
6
うす-usu
mortar
臼 毀 潟 興
豸
7
むじな-mujina
cat, badger
貌 墾 懇
釆
7
のごめ-nogome
divide, distinguish, choose
釈 番 審 翻 藩
麦
7
むぎ-mugi
wheat
麦 麺
舛
7
ます-masu
opposite
傑 舞 隣 瞬
隶
8
れいづくり-reidzukuri
slave, capture
粛 逮 康 緑 隷 録
非
8
あらず-arazu
wrong
非 俳 排 扉 悲 罪 輩
面
9
めん-men
face
面 麺
飛
9
とぶ-tobu
fly
飛
革
9
かくのかわ-kakunokawa
leather, rawhide
革 靴 覇
鬲
10
かなえ-kanae
tripod, cauldron
隔 融
韋
10
なめしがわ-nameshigawa
tanned leather
偉 違 緯 衛 韓
竜
10
りゅう-ryū
dragon
竜 滝
骨
10
ほね-hone
bone
骨 滑 骸 髄
鬼
10
おに-oni
ghost, demon
鬼 塊 魂 魅 醜 魔
麻
11
あさ-asa
hemp, flax
麻 暦 歴 摩 磨 魔
鳥
11
とり-tori
bird
島 鳥 鳴 鶏 鶴
鹿
11
しか-shika
deer
鹿 麗 麓
黒
11
くろ-kuro
black
黒 墨 黙
魚
11
うお-uo
fish
魚 漁 鮮 鯨
黄
11
きいろ-kīro
yellow
黄 横
歯
12
は-ha
tooth, molar
歯 齢
Radicals ordered by frequency
With frequency considered to be the amount of kanji where the radical or its variants can be found as a visual component.[4]
Variants of the same radical are separated by forward slashes (for example 彐/ヨ/⺕)
The first radical on the list (口) is the most frequent and can be seen in 2,839 kanji
The last radical on the list (斉) is the least frequent and can be seen in 5 kanji
A simplification used in "The Kanji Dictionary",[5] "The Learner's Kanji Dictionary," "Japanese, Chinese, and Korean Surnames and How to Read Them", and in "Kanji & Kana."[6]
