On Radicals and Their Meanings

All kanji characters can be divided into groups based on their radicals. Each radical has its own meaning, and this meaning links all characters in same group. For example, the character f* (KYo' yasu(mu)) consists of two parts: the nin-ben radical ( 1 ) , meaningvpeople'', and the character for tree (*). Yasu(mu)

means "to rest", and if you use your imagination, you can see a person sitting under a tree ..

To find a character's reading or meaning in a Kanwa Jiten (a Japanese Kanji dictionary), you would first locate that character's radical group. Characters within a given radical group are arranged by their number of strokes.

Reference work: uma (horse) in Dynamic Calligraphy by Rika Sagano

198

s Hen (-ben): Left .. side radicals
name of
radical meaning
1(A) nin-ben people f* 1* if 1m 1k
{ nISUl freezing {j( ,YO' ~l <Jj{ ~jf
[] kuchi-hen mouth 13 ~ ~ p~~ t!t
± tsuchi-hen ground ~ :l:JX j& j:~ tjH
-k onna-hen woman ~rfj ~ ME ~f ~C
17 yumi-hen bow '11 ~~ ~§ 5fj ~,
q gyo-nin-ben walk 11 f)t fJt i± 1~
-r
Ir~(JL\) risshin-ben standing JI9t t~ II~ JI~ JtfIJ
heart
1(~) te-hen hand :tT t~ 1~ ~ fk
11 kataj ho] -hen direction * ~ JiJf mt nf!!
B hi-hen day a~ aff fiJi Hf eg
* ki-hen tree * 1* It tH fJL
1 (7k) sanzur water itfl. 115 1~ ~* ~* 199

!k(JJ\\) hi-hen fire *T 1:~ ip j:IB ~1f
!f (4) ushi-hen cow !fW ttt ~~ ~1 ttl::
5 (*) kemono-hen animal 1~ ff ~~ ~!I! ~
£(~) o-hen . king f_l ~ ~ f$ ~
(tama-hen) (jewel)
§ me-hen eye lJl P& Pj~ n~ Ujf
~ ya-hen arrow ~n m ~~r *B ~
15 ishi-hen stone ~Jf 1tP W! ~m liJ!
* (~) shimesu-hen god t± 1$ *L fff fi
71( nogi-hen rice plant fD frJ fj( fl ~4
* kome-hen nee *Jl ~ *li *-4 ~
*' ito-hen thread *A HJl *m *Jt *±
\;s. 11=1
Jj (~) tsuki-hen moon ~~ Jt~ 1m na JJf
(niku-zuki) (flesh)
7iT fune-hen ship :JiYr"\ f.JB 1rJJL *~ m
I=t
*(t{) koromo-hen clothing :fJJ f1k: m *m **
--- ~~ wt ~C ~n. IDi
--
--- gon-ben to speak
-
rzr I1P 200

§ kai-hen shell DIj li ~t IT Jlti
/,
• kuruma-hen vehicle ,I !Pi ffa $UU If
A kane-hen gold (metal) it ~l ~ ~J! ~JL
jE
B (J¥.) kozato-hen cliff IW ~~ ~~ ~I ~f
,~ uma-hen horse 1m ~~ !§K ~Z .~t
,!It
Jt mimi-hen ear lf~ ~L' ~ lfn lf~
.:=E. ~~

LI Tsukuri (-zukuri): Right-side radical
JJ ( rJ ) katana sword XIJ tlj JjJJ ~JJ ~J
(ritto)
tJ chikara muscle iIJJ 11D jJJ ~ W}]
power
n fushi-zukuri kneeling ~p frL ~N :EP f!P
down
~ hair of a writ- ~ \i';~ Jm~ I£J:. .5!_%
san-zukuri ing brush; ;f? $
.z-: hair style ,§l7
5c boku-nyo to beat with JX ex Jit ~ 1&
a club
JT ono-zukuri ax * :fJT ,jf wr ~
~
'A akubi opened mouth rgx JiX ilx ;!tj( ~X 201

JU rumata weapon ~ ~ ~~ ~ *~
v:
~ (5 ) ozato walled town {f~ tf~ ~ j~ ~B
it it __.. it 11 ~
furutori bird ~
§ ogai head Jij Ii{ Jim a~ ~l
Jf8
/ .......

U
: .. "": . Kammuri: Radical the
on top
___L. ___.__. ____L... « c ___L_..
nabe-buta pot-lid ~ Jj'", /\
house J ,_.,. ~ ~ L.1. Jd
._______... 1_~ __ ~ ___ ~ 1.,1 __ : ___ -1 C' __ ~ -
, r: wa- K.aIIlIIlUU "UCl1 veu llUIlJ 7- JL _!f!. mL ......
u-kammuri) ./,
~ u-kamrnuri house ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
y~ hatsu-gashira to walk slowly ~ b"t ~
and carefully ra~
.~ . ana-kammuri hole ~.lt..! ~'tJ' !?t'i ~ ~'t;j
»: :=r:: :7L J~\ ~
tt take-kammuri bamboo .~ 11!£ Eli ~i •
J=t \":j
nn( W;] ) ami-gashira fowling net ~ ~ Ii !!It ~g
iill Flb
~(~) oi-kammuri old people !6 4 jJ * ~
* kusa-kammuri grass m . II ~ =[5 ~ 1fi
us: ffi ame-kammuri rain ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~
~ =t ~ EEl rrn
"

t, Ashi: Radical at bottom
JL - 9C 5L 7E 18
nm-nyo people JC
Ju
JL' (t) kokoro heart EEl BE ~ ~ ~
JCJ\ JU,i\ I~\ .. C,.'
JH\(k) rekka flame ~ AA 4HE jJL f!J
"H' J'" .. '" .... ,
lII1 sara dish ~ Z± ~ ~ -JiJ)t
.rm; .nn, ..an..
§ ko-gai small shell ~ j( _m... ~ Jt
~ ~
/"
_m sato village If m lI! ~ I
JH\ "-'po!

an, Kamae (-gamae): Fence
~.-=
n do-gamae round Pi fP] JAJ W mJ
C to settle a IR ~ B ~ flL
hako-gamae matter;
to divide
0 kuni-gamae country 00 IE ~ l5fI ~
X hoko-gamae halberd ~ ~ 7JX $l Jil 203

/.----'" q~r /.x--- lJf ·Tti 1~
iT gyo-gamae to go l;£J
r~ mon-gamae gate r~' flfj M M M

fj Tare (-dare): Top and left side
r: gan-dare rock of a ]X )jj{ J± 1* JJ
cliff ::r
F shikabane roof m, ~ R Jt: ~
"
r- rna-dare house J1\ J!li m E ~
~
r yamai-dare to be sick ~ mi mi £t ~
in bed

~ Nvo [Nyu]: Radical at left and
bottom
J_ to walk ~ @ 9JE ~ ~
en-nyo slowly
jf_ so-nyc to run ,g Jm ~ ~ .Jtt
'\ :il[ jj! 'mJ jjg ~
J_ shin-nyo to advance Jl.!Y 204