Radicals (部首) are the building blocks or roots of kanji. Each radical has their own meaning, which they lend to the kanji that they're a part of.[1] Memorizing kanji as a combination of parts, rather than as a unique character, may greatly simplify the learning process.[2]
We differentiate between two forms:
- True Radicals are kanji in and of themselves,[1] so they may appear as their own kanji or as a component of more complex kanji.[2]
- Modified Radicals make up the largest group, and this form exist only as components of other kanji. The modified form has the same meaning as the original form.[2]
"There are 214 historical radicals derived from the 18th century Kangxi dictionary. (…) Not all 214 radicals are in use in current Japanese but you will soon become familiar with the most important ones and their variants. There are no official Japanese names for radicals. But there are certain commonly-used names. That is why you will find differences in the Japanese names for the radicals on different websites and dictionaries."[1]
In dictionaries, kanji are organized in "alphabetical" order based on these radicals. "Radicals are categorized into seven main groups according to their position within a kanji. Please note that some kanji are also radicals in and of themselves (such as 大, 日, 月). In those cases, the kanji and the radical are one and the same, and thus the position of the radical in the kanji is irrelevant. As a result they do not fall into any one of the seven categories."[1]
Positions[]
"Radicals are categorized into seven main groups according to their position within a kanji." In the case of true radicals, its position is irrelevant, thus they do not fall into any of the seven categories.[1] "Some radicals combine in other strange ways. These needn't be memorized; rather, make yourself familiar with how kanji combine so you'll be better equipped to identify radicals within a really complex character."[3]
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へん (hen) | Radicals on the left side of the kanji |
|
つくり (tsukuri) | Radicals on the right |
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かんむり (kanmuri) | Radicals on the top |
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あし (ashi) | Radicals on the bottom |
      
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かまえ (kamae) | Radicals which enclose the kanji |
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たれ (tare) | Radicals which "hang down" |
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にょう (nyou) | Radicals which wrap around the bottom of a character |
List of True Radicals[]
List shows some true radicals.
| Radicals | Modified Variants | Meaning | Reading |
| ⼃ | diagonal sweeping stroke | の | |
| ⼄ | the second | おつ | |
| ⼈ | person | ひと | |
| ⼋ | eight | はち | |
| ⼏ | ⺅𠆢 | table | きにょう |
| ⼑ | knife, sword | かたな | |
| ⽔ | ⺡氺 | water | みず |
| ⽕ | ⺣ | fire | ひ |
| ⼿ | ⺘ | hand | て |
| ⼼ | ⺖⺗ | heart, mind, spirit | こころ |
| ⽰ | ⺭ | altar, festival, religious service | しめす |
List of Modified Radicals[]
- Kanji Alive has a list of 214 traditional radicals based on the 18th century Kangxi dictionary.
- EJable has a list of the most common Kanji radicals which appear in Jōyō Kanji.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lory, H.H. & Bosse, A. (red.) & Erlewine, M. & Horton, R. & Ishino, M. & Jesty, J. & Kimbara, I. & Kojima, A. & Nishimura, J. & Nozawa, S. & Rounds, J. & Voyer, R. & Yoshimura, K. (2001-05). The 214 traditional kanji radicals and their variants. In Kanji Alive. University of Chicago.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Schiller, T. & Suito, N. (2009). Common Radicals. In Joshu. University of Texas.
- ↑ Schiller, T. & Suito, N. (2009). Radical Placement. In Joshu. University of Texas.