All About Radicals
Transcript of All About Radicals
All About Radicals (1)
What Are Radicals?
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. Click the link to learn all kanji characters associated with each radical. We will learn the rest of the group next week!
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
About Tsukuri
Rittou (sword)
Nobun (folding chair)
Akubi (gap)
Oogai (page)
About Kanmuri
Ukanmuri (crown)
Takekanmuri (bamboo)
Kusakanmuri (grass)
Amekanmuri (rain)
About Ashi
Hitoashi (human legs)
Kokoro (heart)
Rekka (fire)
About Tare
Shikabane (flag)
Madare (dotted cliff)
Yamaidare (sick)
About Nyou
Shinnyou (road)
Ennyou (long stride)
About Kamae
Kunigamae(box)
Mongamae (gate)