The 214 Kanji Radicals with Explanations

25/05/2020Updated 07/04/202611 min read

Translated from the Vietnamese original. View the original.

The 214 kanji radicals with explanations
The full set of 214 kanji radicals you MUST REMEMBER when learning Japanese
Here is material on the full 214 Japanese kanji radicals, with explanations.

No.	Radical	Sino-Vietnamese	Japanese reading	Meaning
One stroke 一画
1	一	Nhất	いち	the number one
2	〡	Cổn	ぼう・たてぼう	a vertical stroke
3	丶	Chủ	てん	a dot, a point
4	ノ	Phiệt	の. はらいぼう	the left-falling stroke of a character
5	乙(乚)	Ất	オツ、おつにょう、つりばり	the 2nd heavenly stem (Ất)
6	亅	Quyết	はねぼう、ケツ、かぎ	a vertical stroke with a hook
Two strokes 二画
7	二	Nhị	に	the number two
8	亠	Đầu	けいさんかんむり、なべぶた、けさんかんむり	a top, above (usually the upper part of other characters)
9	人(イ)	Nhân (standing)	ひと、にんべん、ひとがしら、ひとやね	person (standing upright)
10	儿	Nhân (walking)	にんにょう、ひとあし	person (the shape of someone walking)
11	入	Nhập	いる、いりがしら、いりやね,ニュウ	to enter (roots driving deep into the earth)
12	八	Bát	ハチ、はちがしら	the number eight, to divide
13	冂	Quynh	けいがまえ、まきがまえ、どうがまえ、えんがまえ	Land far beyond the borders, like a wall enclosing a citadel
14	冖	Mịch	わかんむり、べきかんむり	A cloth draped over something, to cover, closed so it cannot be clearly seen
15	冫	Băng	にすい	Frozen water, ice
16	几	Kỷ	つくえ、きにょう、つくえきにょう、かぜかんむり、かぜがまえ	A stool, conservative and unchanging, selfish
17	凵	Khảm	かんにょう、うけばこ	An open mouth, a vessel for holding things such as a trough, basin or measure
18	刀	Đao	かたな、りっとう	a knife, a blade (a weapon)
19	力	Lực	ちから	strength
20	勹	Bao	つつみがまえ	To wrap, to bend over and hold something
21	ヒ	Bỉ / tỷ	ヒ、さじ、さじのひ	a spoon
22	匚	Phương	はこがまえ	A container, a box, the shape of a hollowed-out block of wood (the horizontal stroke below)
23	匸	Hệ	かくしがまえ	To cover. (the upper horizontal stroke extends past the vertical on the left).
24	十	Thập	ジュウ	the number ten
25	卜	Bốc	ボク、ぼくのと、うらない	Divination, like the cracks on a tortoise shell read for fortune or misfortune
26	卩	Tiết	ふしづくり、まげわりふ、わりふ	A bamboo joint, a small detail in a thing or a phenomenon
27	厂	Hán	がんだれ	A sheltered spot on a hillside that people of old chose to live in
28	厶	Khư, Tư	む	private
29	又	Hựu	また	A crossed hand, to do again
Other two-stroke radicals
	イ			See radical 9 人
	へ			See radical 9 人
	刂			See radical 18 刀
				See radical 12 八
Three strokes 三画
30	口	Khẩu	くち・くちへん	mouth
31	囗	Vi	くにがまえ	To surround (an enclosing boundary).
32	土	Thổ	つち・つちへん	earth
33	士	Sĩ	さむらいかんむり, さむらい	an educated person
34	夂(匁)	Truy – Trĩ	ふゆがしら、ちかんむり、のまたかんむり	To follow and catch up with the one in front
35	夊	Suy – Tuy	すいにょう、なつあし	A slow gait
36	夕	Tịch	ゆう、ゆうべ、タ	evening (half the character for moon — the moon just risen, its lower part not yet clearly seen).
37	大	Đại	ダイ、だいかんむり、だいかしら	big
38	女	Nữ	おんな、おんなへん	female, girl, woman
39	子	Tử, Tí	こ、こへん、こども、こどもへん	child, the first branch (Tí)
40	宀	Miên	うかんむり	a roof, a covering
41	寸	Thốn	スン	An inch — a unit of length, a tenth of a foot.
42	小	Tiểu	ショウ、ちいさい、しょうがしら、なおがしら	small
43	尢	Uông	だいのまげあし、まげあし、おうにょう、オウ	weak, lame (a person standing with crooked legs)
44	尸	Thi	しかばね、しかばねかんむり、かばね、かばねだれ	A corpse, a body.
45	屮	Triệt	テツ、くさのめ、めばえ	A sprouting plant (just sprouted, with two leaves and roots).
46	山	Sơn	やま・やまへん	mountain
47	巛(川)	Xuyên	まがりかわ、かわ、さんぽがわ	a river with many tributaries flowing into it
48	工	Công	コウ、たくみへん、たくみ	work, a workman, skilled work
49	己	Kỷ	コ,キ,イ,シ,おのれ,すでに,み	oneself, the 6th stem (a rope)
50	巾	Cân	はば、はばへん,きんへん,きんべん	a cloth
51	干	Can	カン、いちじゅう、ほす	To offend, a heavenly stem, to interfere
52	幺	Yêu	ヨウ、いとがしら	tiny (a newborn child).
53	广	Nghiễm, Yểm	まだれ	a roof (a house built against a hillside)

54	廴	Dẫn	えんにょう,えんにゅう,いんにょう	A long stride, a slow, unhurried step
55	廾	Củng	キョウ、こまぬき、にじゅうあし	To join both hands respectfully
56	弋	Dặc	ヨク、しきがまえ	A stake, an arrow with a cord tied to it, a post for tethering animals, to capture
57	弓	Cung	ゆみ・ゆみへん	a bow; a unit of land measure — five feet make one bow
58	ヨ	Ký – Kệ	けいがしら、いのこがしら	a hedgehog's head
59	彡	Sam	さんづくり、けかざり、かみかざり	long hair
60	彳	Sách – Xích	ぎょうにんべん	A short step, a step with the left foot
Other three-stroke radicals
				See radical 140 艸
	忄			See radical 61 心
	(辶)			See radical 162 辵
	阝(右)			See radical 163 邑
	阝(左)			See radical 170 阜
				See radical 58 ヨ
	扌			See radical 64 手
	氵			See radical 85 水
	犭			See radical 94 犬
Four strokes 四画
61	心(忄)	Tâm	こころ、りっしんべん、したごころ	heart, mind, feeling
62	戈	Qua	ほこ、ほこづくり、ほこがまえ、たすき、かのほこ	a halberd, a spear with a single head
63	戸	Hộ	と、とかんむり,とだれ、とびらのと	a single-leaf door
64	手(扌)	Thủ	て・てへん	tay
65	支	Chi	しにょう、えだにょう、じゅうまた	A branch
66	攴(攵)	Phộc	ぼくづくり・ぼくにょうぼくにょう・のぶん	to tap
67	文	Văn	ブン、ぶんにょう、ふみつくり	pattern, writing,
68	斗	Đẩu	とます、ます、ト	A measure, a unit for measuring grain
69	斤	Cân	おの、おのづくり、キン	an axe, a hatchet
70	方	Phương	ホウ、ほうへん、かたへん	Square, direction, a side
71	无(旡)	Vô	なし、ブ、むにょう、すでのつくり	not
72	日	Nhật	ひ、にち、ひへん、にちへん	The sun, daytime
73	曰	Viết	ひらび、いわく	To say, the mouth parting the teeth and letting out breath as it speaks
74	月	Nguyệt	つき、つきへん、ふなづき	Month, moon
75	木	Mộc	き・きへん	wood, trees
76	欠	Khiếm	けつ・あくび・けんづくり、かける	lacking, missing, the mouth opening in a yawn
77	止	Chỉ	とまる・とめへん	A foot. A base, a stance, to stop
78	歹	Đãi, Ngạt	ガツ、がつへん、かばねへん、しにがまえ、いちたへん	bad, dreadful, withered bones, worn out, broken up
79	殳	Thù	ほこづくり、ほこ、るまた	a long weapon
80	毋(母)	Vô- Mẫu	なかれ、はは、ははのかん	don't, mother
81	比	Tỷ, Bỉ	ヒ、ならびひ、くらべる	To compare, to measure against
82	毛	Mao	け	hair
83	氏	Thị	うじ	A surname, a branch of a clan
84	气	Khí	きがまえ	Vapour, the air of clouds that makes rain
85	水(氵)	Thủy	みず、さんずい、したみず	water
86	火(灬)	Hỏa	ひ、ひへん、れっか、れんが	fire
87	爪(爫)	Trảo	つめ、そうにょう、つめかんむり	the claws of a beast
88	父	Phụ	ちち	father
89	爻	Hào	コウ	To cross. Each hexagram in the Book of Changes has six lines.
90	爿	Tường	ショウ、しょうへん	a plank, a bed, a board. (the left half of the character for wood)
91	片	Phiến	かた、かたへん	A thin, flat piece. The right half of the character for wood
92	牙	Nha	きば、きばへん	tooth
93	牛(牜)	Ngọ, Ngưu	うし・うしへん	ox, buffalo
94	犬(犭)	Khuyển	いぬ. けものへん	dog (lowly)
Other four-stroke radicals
	灬			See radical 85 火
	王			See radical 96 玉
	礻			See radical 113 示
				See radical 125 老
Five strokes 五画
95	玄	Huyền	ゲン	Deep and far off. Black tinged with red – the colour of heaven and of the Buddha
96	玉(王)	Ngọc	たま・たまへん. おうへん	jade, precious stone
97	瓜	Qua	うり	a melon
98	瓦	Ngõa	かわら	Tile, fired brick. Objects made of fired clay
99	甘	Cam	あまい、カン	Sweet. Something tasty held in the mouth.
100	生	Sinh	セイ、ショウ、いきる、うまれる	To live, to grow, to be born.
101	用	Dụng	ヨウ、もちいる	To use, able to be carried out.
102	田	Điền	た・たへん	field
103	疋	Sơ – Thất	ヒキ、ひきへん	a unit of length, a bolt of cloth
104	疒	Nạch	やまいだれ	illness
105	癶	Bát (đạp)	はつがしら	to push back, to turn back, to kick out
106	白	Bạch	しろ・しろへん	white
107	皮	Bì	けがわ、ひのかわ	da
108	皿	Mãnh	さら	Dishes and bowls for eating
109	目	Mục	め、めへん、よこめ	eye
110	矛	Mâu	ほこ・ほこへん	The mao was a weapon used in ancient times to fight the enemy
111	矢	Thỉ	や・やへん	An arrow, a barbed point with feathers at the tail to guide its flight
112	石	Thạch	いし・いしへん	stone
113	示(礻)	Thị, Kỳ	しめす、しめすへん、ねへん	to show, to instruct, the earth god
114	禸	Nhựu	ぐうのあし	footprints, the tracks a beast leaves in the ground
115	禾	Hòa	いね、いねへん、のぎ、のぎへん	rice plant
116	穴	Huyệt	あな・あなかんむり	a cave, a hole
117	立	Lập	たつ、たつへん	to stand, to establish, a person standing on the ground.
Other five-stroke radicals
	母			See radical 80 毋
				See radical 146 西
	衤			See radical 145 衣
	罒			See radical 122 网
	月			See radical 130 肉
Six strokes 六画
118	竹	Trúc	たけ・たけかんむり	bamboo
119	米	Mễ	こめ・こめへん	rice
120	糸	Mịch	いと・いとへん	a fine silk thread
121	缶	Phẫu, Phữu	ほとぎ、ほとぎへん,フ,カン	Earthenware: a jar, a crock, a vat, a lidded vessel
122	网(罒)	Võng	あみめ, あみがしら, よんがしら	A net for catching animals or fish.
123	羊( )	Dương	ひつじ、ひつじへん	goat
124	羽	Vũ	はね	Feathers
125	老( )	Lão	おいる、おいかんむり、おいがしら	Old. An elderly person whose hair and beard have changed
126	而	Nhi	しこうして、しかして	and, moreover, therefore (originally meaning a beard)
127	耒	Lỗi	すきへん・らいすき	a plough
128	耳	Nhĩ	みみ・みみへん	ear
129	聿	Duật	イツ、ふでづくり	to follow, a writing brush
130	肉(月)	Nhục	ニク、にくづき	meat
131	臣	Thần	シン	a subject, a retainer
132	自	Tự	ジ、みずから	oneself, from
133	至	Chí	いたる・いたるへん	to reach, to arrive, an aspiration
134	臼	Cữu	うす	a mortar for husking rice
135	舌	Thiệt	した、したへん	tongue
136	舛	Suyễn	まいあし、ます	error, mistake,
137	舟	Chu	ふね・ふねへん	a boat
138	艮	Cấn	コン,ゴン,こんづくり、ごんづくり,ねづくり,うしとら	Not to heed, not yet agreed, to obstruct. The Gen trigram of the eight trigrams.
139	色	Sắc	いろ	Complexion, appearance, colour
140	艸( )	Thảo	くさ, くさかんむり, そうこう	grass
141	虍	Hổ	とらかんむり、とらがしら	a tiger's stripes
142	虫	Trùng	むし、むしへん	insects
143	血	Huyết	ち	blood
144	行	Hành, Hàng	いく・ぎょうがまえ・ゆきがまえ	to go, to carry out, to be able to do
145	衣(衤)	Y	ころも・ころもへん	clothing
146	西	Tây, Á	おおいかんむり、にし	the west, to cover, to place over
Seven strokes 七画
147	見	Kiến	みる	to see, to look
148	角	Giác	つの・つのへん	a corner, an animal's horn
149	言	Ngôn	いう,ごんべん,ことば,ゲン	to speak
150	谷	Cốc	たに、たにへん	A mountain stream flowing out into a river.
151	豆	Đậu	まめ、まめへん	a bean, a bean plant, a lidded bowl
152	豕	Thỉ	いのこ、いのこへん、ぶた	a pig
153	豸	Trãi – Trĩ	むじな、むじなへん	A vertebrate animal with a long back.
154	貝	Bối	かい・こがい・かいへん	A shell. In the past shells were used as money – a symbol of treasure
155	赤	Xích	あか・あかへん	red
156	走	Tẩu	はしる・そうにょう	to go, to run
157	足( )	Túc	あし・あしへん	foot, sufficient
158	身	Thân	み、みへん	the body, oneself
159	車	Xa	くるま・くるまへん	a cart, a vehicle
160	辛	Tân	シン、からい	A pungent taste, bitter, toilsome, careworn, hardworking, the 8th heavenly stem (Tân)
161	辰	Thần, Thìn	しんのたつ	Time, thunder, the turn of the seasons from spring to summer (the third month). A star, the branch
162	辵(辶)	Sước	しんにょう、しんにゅう	to step forward and stop again – to travel far
163	邑(阝)	Ấp	むら、おおざと	A small state within a larger one, territory granted by a king to a vassal, a village, a hamlet
164	酉	Dậu	とりへん、ひよみのとり、さけのとり、とり	Wine, the 12th earthly branch (Dậu)
165	釆	Biện	のごめ・のごめへん	to distinguish, to handle, to tell apart
166	里	Lý	さと・さとへん	a mile, a village
Other seven-stroke radicals
	麦			See radical 199 麥
Eight strokes 八画
167	金	Kim	かね・かねへん	metal, gold
168	長	Trường	ながい	long, great, senior
169	門	Môn	モン,もんがまえ,かどがまえ	a double-leaf door, a gate
170	阜(阝)	Phụ	おか、こざとへん	a mound, a hill, an earthen hill with no rock.
171	隶	Đãi	れいづくり	To catch up (running fast to catch the one in front).
172	隹	Chuy-Truy	ふるとり	a short-tailed bird
173	雨	Vũ	あめ・あめかんむり	rain
174	青	Thanh	あお・あおへん	blue (sky blue)
175	非	Phi	あらず、ヒ	Not, wrong, the opposite
Other eight-stroke radicals
				See radical 184 食
	斉			See radical 210 齊
Nine strokes 九画
176	面	Diện	メン	face, surface
177	革	Cách	つくりがわ・かくのかわ	Animal hide with the hair removed, to change, to reform
178	韋	Vi	なましがわ	Tanned leather, opposite one another
179	韭	Cửu – Phỉ	にら	Chinese chives
180	音	Âm	おと・おとへん	Sound, a noise that reaches the ear.
181	頁	Hiệt	おおがい	head (of a person), a page
182	風	Phong	かぜ	cold wind
183	飛	Phi	とぶ	bay
184	食( )	Thực	ショク、しょくへん	to eat
185	首	Thủ	くび	head (of an animal), front, neck (in Japanese)
186	香	Hương	かおり、カ	scent, fragrance
Ten strokes 十画
187	馬	Mã	うま・うまへん	horse
188	骨	Cốt	ほね・ほねへん	bone
189	高	Cao	たかい	cao
190	髟	Tiêu -Bưu	かみかんむり、かみがしら	long hair
191	鬥	Đấu	とうがまえ、たたかいがまえ	To fight, to do battle, to struggle
192	鬯	Sưởng	チョウ、においざけ	glutinous rice wine, ritual wine for invoking the gods
193	鬲	Cách	かなえ、レキ	the name of a river, (lì) an incense tripod (without legs)
194	鬼	Quỷ	おに、きにょう	a demon
Other ten-stroke radicals
	竜			See radical 212 龍
Eleven strokes 十一画
195	魚	Ngư	うお、さかな、うおへん	fish
196	鳥	Điểu	とり、とりへん	con chim
197	鹵	Lỗ	しお、ロ	Salty ground, salt in the earth
198	鹿	Lộc	しか	deer
199	麥(麦)	Mạch	むぎ、ばくにょう	barley
200	麻	Ma	あさ・あさかんむり	hemp for weaving cloth
Other 11-stroke radicals
	黒			See radical 203 黑
	亀			See radical 213 龜
	黄			See radical 201 黃
Twelve strokes 十二画
201	黃(黄)	Hoàng	き	yellow
202	黍	Thử	きび	millet
203	黑(黒)	Hắc	くろ	black
204	黹	Chỉ	ぬいとり、ふつへん、チ	to sew, to stitch
Other 12-stroke radicals
	歯			See radical 211 齒
Thirteen strokes 十三画
205	黽	Mãnh	ガエル、べんあし、ベン	frog
206	鼎	Đỉnh	かなえ、テイ	a cauldron, a tripod (with legs)
207	豉	Cổ	つづみ	a drum
208	鼠	Thử	ねずみ、ねずみへん	rat
Fourteen strokes 十四画
209	鼻	Tị	はな、はなへん	nose
210	齊(斉)	Tề, Trai	セイ	Rice ripening evenly, orderly.
Fifteen strokes 十五画
211	齒(歯)	Sỉ	は、はへん	tooth, solitary.
Sixteen strokes 十六画
212	龍(竜)	Long	リュウ	dragon
213	龜(亀)	Quy	かめ	turtle
Seventeen strokes 十七画
214	龠	Dược	ヤク、ふえ	a three-holed flute