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Kanji radicals are graphemes, or graphical parts, that are used in organizing Japanese kanji in dictionaries. They are derived from the 214 Chinese Kangxi radicals.

Table key

The following table shows the 214 Kangxi radicals, which are derived from 47,035 characters.

The frequency list is derived from the 47,035 characters in the Chinese language.

The Jōyō frequency is from the set of 2,136 Jōyō kanji.

Top 25% means that this radical represents 25% of Jōyō kanji. Top 50% means that this radical plus the Top 25% represent 50% of Jōyō kanji. Top 75% means that this radical plus the Top 50% represent 75% of Jōyō kanji.

Many radicals are not commonly written by themselves so people wouldn't know the technical hiragana reading given here. The simplified table of Japanese kanji radicals page only lists common readings.

Table of radicals

Kanji radicals not recognized by Kangxi

These radicals are either listed as variants or not listed at all in the kangxi radical table.

The 214 Kangxi radicals are technically classifiers as they are not always etymologically correct, 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.

Other possible radical candidates

• 竹 and 西 (西 to a lesser extent) are only used in their original form when representing the original meanings. As components of jōyō kanji they always appear as ⺮ and 覀.

Position of radical within character

There are fourteen different radical positions, seven basic types and seven variant. The following table lists radical types with Japanese name and position in red and indicate how Kanji is formed by radical with example.

Position	Japanese name	Chinese	Meaning	Example
	hen (偏)	旁	Left sided element	略 consists of Radical 102 田 and 各.
	tsukuri (旁)	旁	Right accompanying element	期 consists of Radical 74 月 and 其.
	kanmuri (冠)	頭	Crown element	歩 consists of Radical 77 止 and 少, and 男 consists of Radical 102 田 and 力. Note that single radical (e.g., Radical 102 田) is used for other type as well, and lesser strokes simple Kanji works as a radical, like 力 is also Radical 19.
	ashi (脚)	底	Foot element	志 consists of Radical 61 心 and 士, and 畠 consists of Radical 102 田 and 白. Also note that single radical is interchangeably used for other type as well, and 白 is Radical 106 too, but not used as crown type for 畠.
	ashi variant		Top and bottom element	亘 consists of Radical 7 二 and 日.
			Center element	昼 consists of Radical 72 日 with upper 尺 and lower 一.
	tare (垂)		Dangle / left shoulder element	房 consists of Radical 63 戸 and 方.
	nyō (繞)		Surround / left and bottom element	起 consists of Radical 156 走 and 己.
	kamae (構)		Posture (box, enclosure) element	国 consists of Radical 31 囗 and 玉.
	kamae variant		Box, bottom open	間 consists of Radical 169 門 and 日.
			Box, top open	凶 consists of Radical 17 凵 and 乄.
			Box, right open	医 consists of Radical 22 匚 and 矢.
			Right shoulder	式 consists of Radical 56 弋 and 工.
			Left and right sided	街 consists of Radical 144 行 and 圭.

See also

• List of kanji radicals by frequency
• List of Unicode radicals
• Kangxi radical

References

1. "Kanjidamage". Kanjidamage. Retrieved 2018-07-31.
2. "KANJI-Link". www.kanji-link.com.
3. "KanjiNetworks: Free Online Kanji Radical Dictionary". Archived from the original on 2013-10-02. Retrieved 2013-09-11.

External links

• http://nihonshock.com/2012/02/kanji-radicals-and-components/
• http://www.hadamitzky.de/english/lp_radical_tables.htm
• http://kanjialive.com/214-traditional-kanji-radicals/
• http://www.joyokanji.com/radical-notes
• All (CJK) Unicode Han characters

• Kanji