Kanji Radicals: All 214, With Meanings and Names

There are 214 traditional kanji radicals — the Kangxi radicals, the classification system dictionaries have used since 1716. Every kanji is filed under exactly one of them, but the work is concentrated: around 50 radicals cover the majority of common kanji, and about 20 do most of the heavy lifting.

Radicals matter for two reasons: they are how you look kanji up in a dictionary, and they are meaning hints — a character with the water radical (氵) almost always has something to do with liquid. Learn the common radicals and unfamiliar kanji stop being random strokes and start being readable structure.

What a radical is: a worked example

Take 語 (go, "language" — the second character of 日本語, Japanese). It looks complex at 14 strokes, but it is just three familiar pieces: 言 (speech) + 五 (five) + 口 (mouth). The dictionary files it under 言, the speech radical (gonben), which is exactly what the character means — something to do with speaking. The other components carry the sound: 五 is read go, and so is 語.

That pattern — radical hints at the meaning, another component hints at the reading — describes the majority of all kanji. It is why learning radicals pays off so quickly: instead of memorising 2,000 arbitrary pictures, you are reading combinations of a couple hundred parts you already know. (For how kanji work more broadly, see our guide to Japanese kanji.)

One precision worth keeping: every component of a kanji is worth knowing, but the radical is specifically the one component the dictionary classifies the character under. Each kanji has exactly one.

The 20 radicals worth learning first

These classify more common kanji than any others. The form in parentheses is the compressed shape the radical takes inside characters — 水 appears as 氵, 人 as 亻. Example kanji link into our dictionary.

The 20 most important kanji radicals with their variants, Japanese names, meanings, and example kanji
#	Radical	Name	Meaning	Examples
9	人 (亻)	hito / ninben	person	休何体
18	刀 (刂)	katana / rittō	knife; sword	切前別
30	口	kuchi / kuchihen	mouth	味呼品
32	土	tsuchi / tsuchihen	earth	地場坂
38	女	onna / onnahen	woman	好姉妹
40	宀	ukanmuri	roof	家安室
61	心 (忄・⺗)	kokoro / risshinben	heart	思急情
64	手 (扌)	te / tehen	hand	持指打
72	日	hi / nichihen	sun; day	明時春
75	木	ki / kihen	tree; wood	林森校
85	水 (氵・氺)	mizu / sanzui	water	海池泉
86	火 (灬)	hi / hihen	fire	焼点熱
102	田	ta / tahen	rice field	男町界
109	目	me / mehen	eye	直相眼
120	糸 (糹)	ito / itohen	thread	紙細線
140	艸 (艹)	kusa / kusakanmuri	grass	花草茶
149	言 (訁)	kotoba / gonben	speech; words	話語読
154	貝	kai / kaihen	shell; money	買貨財
162	辵 (辶)	shinnyō	walk; road	道近週
167	金 (釒)	kane / kanehen	metal; gold	鉄銀鏡

The complete list of all 214 radicals

The full Kangxi table, in traditional order (radicals are numbered by stroke count, from 一 at one stroke to 龠 at seventeen). Where the modern Japanese form differs from the traditional character, it appears in the variants column — along with the compressed shapes used inside kanji.

All 214 Kangxi kanji radicals with number, character, variants, stroke count, meaning, Japanese name, and example kanji
#	Radical	Variants	Strokes	Meaning	Name	Examples
1	一	—	1	one	ichi	三上下
2	丨	—	1	vertical line	bō	中旧
3	丶	—	1	dot	ten	丸主
4	丿	—	1	slash	no	久乗
5	乙	乚	1	second; fish-hook	otsu	九乱乳
6	亅	—	1	hook	hanebō	了事
7	二	—	2	two	ni	五井
8	亠	—	2	lid	nabebuta	京交夜
9	人	亻	2	person	hito / ninben	休何体
10	儿	—	2	legs	hitoashi	先兄光
11	入	—	2	enter	iru	入全
12	八	—	2	eight	hachi / hachigashira	六公共
13	冂	—	2	open country; down-box	keigamae	円再
14	冖	—	2	cover	wakanmuri	写冠
15	冫	—	2	ice	nisui	冬冷凍
16	几	—	2	table	tsukue / kinyō	処凡
17	凵	—	2	open box; container	ukebako	出凶
18	刀	刂	2	knife; sword	katana / rittō	切前別
19	力	—	2	power; strength	chikara	助動勉
20	勹	—	2	wrap	tsutsumigamae	包勺
21	匕	—	2	spoon	saji	化北
22	匚	—	2	right-open box	hakogamae	区医匠
23	匸	—	2	hiding enclosure	kakushigamae	匹匿
24	十	—	2	ten	jū	千半卒
25	卜	—	2	divination	boku	占卦
26	卩	㔾	2	seal	fushizukuri	印卵危
27	厂	—	2	cliff	gandare	原厚厘
28	厶	—	2	private	mu	去参
29	又	—	2	again; right hand	mata	友取反
30	口	—	3	mouth	kuchi / kuchihen	味呼品
31	囗	—	3	enclosure	kunigamae	国四園
32	土	—	3	earth	tsuchi / tsuchihen	地場坂
33	士	—	3	scholar; samurai	samurai	声売壱
34	夂	—	3	go; winter top	fuyugashira	冬各
35	夊	—	3	go slowly	natsuashi	夏
36	夕	—	3	evening	yūbe	夜多夢
37	大	—	3	big	dai	天太奇
38	女	—	3	woman	onna / onnahen	好姉妹
39	子	—	3	child	ko / kohen	字孝孫
40	宀	—	3	roof	ukanmuri	家安室
41	寸	—	3	inch; measurement	sun	寺対封
42	小	⺌	3	small	shō	少尚当
43	尢	尣	3	lame; crooked leg	mageashi	就
44	尸	—	3	corpse; body	shikabane	局屋尾
45	屮	—	3	sprout	tetsu	屯
46	山	—	3	mountain	yama / yamahen	岩岸島
47	巛	川	3	river	kawa / magarigawa	川州巡
48	工	—	3	work; craft	kō / takumihen	左巧差
49	己	—	3	oneself	onore	記起
50	巾	—	3	cloth; towel	haba / kinben	布帰帳
51	干	—	3	dry; shield	kan	平年幹
52	幺	—	3	short thread	itogashira	幼幾
53	广	—	3	building; dotted cliff	madare	店広庭
54	廴	—	3	long stride	ennyō	建延廷
55	廾	—	3	two hands	nijūashi	弁
56	弋	—	3	shooting stake; ceremony	shikigamae	式弐
57	弓	—	3	bow	yumi / yumihen	引強弱
58	彐	彑	3	pig's head	keigashira	雪帰
59	彡	—	3	hair; bristles	sanzukuri	形影彩
60	彳	—	3	step; going	gyōninben	役待後
61	心	忄・⺗	4	heart	kokoro / risshinben	思急情
62	戈	—	4	halberd	hoko / hokozukuri	成戦我
63	戶	戸	4	door	todare	所戻房
64	手	扌	4	hand	te / tehen	持指打
65	支	—	4	branch	shi	支枝技
66	攴	攵	4	strike	bokuzukuri / nobun	教数政
67	文	—	4	script; literature	bun	文紋蚊
68	斗	—	4	dipper; measure	tomasu	料斜
69	斤	—	4	axe	ono / onozukuri	新断斧
70	方	—	4	direction; square	hōhen	旅族施
71	无	旡	4	not; without	nashi	既
72	日	—	4	sun; day	hi / nichihen	明時春
73	曰	—	4	say; flat sun	hirabi / iwaku	書曲更
74	月	—	4	moon	tsuki / tsukihen	朝期有
75	木	—	4	tree; wood	ki / kihen	林森校
76	欠	—	4	lack; yawn	akubi	次欲歌
77	止	—	4	stop	tomeru	正歩歳
78	歹	歺	4	death; bad	kabanehen / ichitahen	死残殖
79	殳	—	4	lance shaft; weapon	rumata	殺段殿
80	毋	母	4	do not; mother	nakare	母毎毒
81	比	—	4	compare	narabihi	比皆批
82	毛	—	4	fur; hair	ke	毛尾
83	氏	—	4	clan	uji	民紙
84	气	—	4	steam; breath	kigamae	気
85	水	氵・氺	4	water	mizu / sanzui	海池泉
86	火	灬	4	fire	hi / hihen	焼点熱
87	爪	爫	4	claw; nail	tsume / tsumekanmuri	受妥
88	父	—	4	father	chichi	父
89	爻	—	4	crossing lines	meme	爽
90	爿	丬	4	split wood (left)	shōhen	将状
91	片	—	4	one-sided; slice	katahen	版片
92	牙	—	4	fang	kiba	牙芽雅
93	牛	牜	4	cow	ushi / ushihen	物特牧
94	犬	犭	4	dog	inu / kemonohen	犯独猫
95	玄	—	5	dark; profound	gen	玄率
96	玉	王	5	jade; jewel	tama / ōhen	王球理
97	瓜	—	5	melon	uri	瓜
98	瓦	—	5	tile	kawara	瓶瓦
99	甘	—	5	sweet	amai	甘甚
100	生	—	5	life; birth	umareru	生産
101	用	—	5	use	mochiiru	用
102	田	—	5	rice field	ta / tahen	男町界
103	疋	⺪	5	bolt of cloth	hiki	疑
104	疒	—	5	sickness	yamaidare	病痛疲
105	癶	—	5	footsteps	hatsugashira	発登
106	白	—	5	white	shiro / shirohen	百的皆
107	皮	—	5	skin; hide	kegawa	皮波彼
108	皿	—	5	dish	sara	盆盛益
109	目	—	5	eye	me / mehen	直相眼
110	矛	—	5	spear	hokohen	矛務柔
111	矢	—	5	arrow	ya / yahen	知短
112	石	—	5	stone	ishi / ishihen	砂研破
113	示	礻	5	show; altar	shimesuhen	神礼祭
114	禸	—	5	track; footprint	gūnoashi	禽
115	禾	—	5	grain; growing rice	nogi / nogihen	私秋種
116	穴	—	5	cave; hole	ana / anakanmuri	空究窓
117	立	—	5	stand	tatsu / tatsuhen	章童端
118	竹	⺮	6	bamboo	take / takekanmuri	筆箱答
119	米	—	6	rice	kome / komehen	粉精糖
120	糸	糹	6	thread	ito / itohen	紙細線
121	缶	—	6	jar; tin	hotogi	缶
122	网	罒・罓	6	net	amigashira	罪置署
123	羊	⺶	6	sheep	hitsuji	美着群
124	羽	—	6	feather; wing	hane	習翌翼
125	老	耂	6	old	oigashira	老考者
126	而	—	6	and; whiskers	shikōshite	耐
127	耒	—	6	plow	raisuki	耕
128	耳	—	6	ear	mimi / mimihen	聞職聴
129	聿	—	6	writing brush	fudezukuri	筆建
130	肉	月	6	meat; flesh	niku / nikuzuki	肌胸腹
131	臣	—	6	minister; retainer	shin	臨覧
132	自	—	6	self	mizukara	自臭
133	至	—	6	arrive	itaru	至致
134	臼	—	6	mortar	usu	興
135	舌	—	6	tongue	shita	舌舎
136	舛	—	6	opposite; dancing feet	maiashi	舞
137	舟	—	6	boat	fune / funehen	船航般
138	艮	—	6	stopping	kon / ushitora	良限恨
139	色	—	6	color	iro	色絶
140	艸	艹	6	grass	kusa / kusakanmuri	花草茶
141	虍	—	6	tiger stripes	toragashira	虚虜
142	虫	—	6	insect	mushi / mushihen	蚊蛇蝶
143	血	—	6	blood	chi	血衆
144	行	—	6	go; road enclosure	gyōgamae	街術衛
145	衣	衤	6	clothes	koromo / koromohen	装裏補
146	襾	西・覀	6	cover; west	ōikanmuri	西要覆
147	見	—	7	see	miru	親覚視
148	角	—	7	horn	tsuno / tsunohen	解触
149	言	訁	7	speech; words	kotoba / gonben	話語読
150	谷	—	7	valley	tani / tanihen	谷欲浴
151	豆	—	7	bean	mame / mamehen	豊頭短
152	豕	—	7	pig	inoko	豚象
153	豸	—	7	badger; cat-like beast	mujinahen	貌
154	貝	—	7	shell; money	kai / kaihen	買貨財
155	赤	—	7	red	aka / akahen	赤赦
156	走	—	7	run	hashiru / sōnyō	起超越
157	足	⻊	7	foot; leg	ashi / ashihen	路跳距
158	身	—	7	body	mi / mihen	身射
159	車	—	7	cart; car	kuruma / kurumahen	軍転輪
160	辛	—	7	bitter; spicy	karai	辞辛
161	辰	—	7	dragon; morning	shinnotatsu	農辱
162	辵	辶	7	walk; road	shinnyō	道近週
163	邑	⻏	7	town; village (right side)	ōzato	都部郡
164	酉	—	7	sake jar; zodiac bird	hiyomi-no-tori	酒配酸
165	釆	—	7	distinguish	nogome	釈
166	里	—	7	village; ri	sato / satohen	野重量
167	金	釒	8	metal; gold	kane / kanehen	鉄銀鏡
168	長	—	8	long	nagai	長張帳
169	門	—	8	gate	mongamae / kadogamae	間開関
170	阜	⻖	8	mound; hill (left side)	kozatohen	陽階防
171	隶	—	8	slave; reach	reizukuri	隷
172	隹	—	8	short-tailed bird	furutori	集雑難
173	雨	—	8	rain	ame / amekanmuri	雪雲電
174	靑	青	8	blue; green	ao	静晴精
175	非	—	8	wrong; not	arazu	非悲輩
176	面	—	9	face; surface	men	面
177	革	—	9	leather; hide	tsukurigawa / kawahen	靴革
178	韋	—	9	tanned leather	namashigawa	韓偉衛
179	韭	—	9	leek	nira
180	音	—	9	sound	oto / otohen	音響韻
181	頁	—	9	head; page	ōgai	頭顔題
182	風	—	9	wind	kaze	風嵐
183	飛	—	9	fly	tobu	飛
184	食	飠	9	eat; food	shoku / shokuhen	飯飲館
185	首	—	9	neck; head	kubi	首道
186	香	—	9	fragrance	kaori	香
187	馬	—	10	horse	uma / umahen	駅験駐
188	骨	—	10	bone	hone / honehen	骨髄
189	高	髙	10	tall; high	takai	高
190	髟	—	10	long hair	kamigashira	髪
191	鬥	—	10	fight	tatakaigamae	闘
192	鬯	—	10	sacrificial wine; herbs	nioizake	鬱
193	鬲	—	10	cauldron; tripod	reki	隔
194	鬼	—	10	ghost; demon	oni / kinyō	鬼魂魔
195	魚	—	11	fish	uo / uohen	鮮鯨鮭
196	鳥	—	11	bird	tori / torihen	鳴鶏鶴
197	鹵	—	11	salt	ro
198	鹿	—	11	deer	shika	鹿麗
199	麥	麦	11	wheat	mugi / bakunyō	麦麺
200	麻	—	11	hemp	asa / asakanmuri	麻磨摩
201	黃	黄	12	yellow	ki	黄横
202	黍	—	12	millet	kibi	黎
203	黑	黒	12	black	kuro / kurohen	黒黙
204	黹	—	12	embroidery	nuitori
205	黽	—	13	frog	ben / kaeru
206	鼎	—	13	tripod cauldron	kanae	鼎
207	鼓	—	13	drum	tsuzumi	鼓
208	鼠	—	13	rat; mouse	nezumi	鼠
209	鼻	—	14	nose	hana	鼻
210	齊	斉	14	even; uniform	sei	斉済剤
211	齒	歯	15	tooth	ha / hahen	歯齢
212	龍	竜	16	dragon	ryū / tatsu	竜滝襲
213	龜	亀	16	turtle	kame	亀
214	龠	—	17	flute	yaku

Want to see the characters each radical builds? Browse the full set in the kanji dictionary, where every entry shows its components, stroke order, and the words it appears in.

Radicals stick when you meet them in real kanji

Nobody learns 214 shapes from a table — you learn the important ones by reading and reviewing real characters until the parts jump out on their own. Nihongo Master teaches kanji frequency-first, inside real vocabulary, with spaced-repetition drills scheduling the reviews — so the radicals in the tables above become old friends within weeks.

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Frequently asked questions

How many kanji radicals are there?

There are 214 traditional radicals — the Kangxi radicals, the classification system dictionaries have used since 1716. Every kanji is filed under exactly one of them. In practice around 50 radicals account for the majority of common kanji, so you never need to memorise all 214.

What is a kanji radical?

A radical is the component of a kanji under which dictionaries classify it — usually the part that hints at its meaning. For example, 語 (language) is filed under 言, the speech radical, and 海 (sea) under 氵, the water radical. The remaining components often hint at the pronunciation.

Do I need to learn all 214 radicals?

No. Roughly 50 radicals cover the majority of common kanji, and the 20 in our featured table cover a large share on their own. Learn those as you meet them in real kanji and the rest of the system falls into place naturally.

What is the difference between a radical and a component?

Every part a kanji is built from is a component; the radical is the one specific component a dictionary files the character under. 語 contains three components — 言, 五, and 口 — but only 言 is its radical. Learners often use "radical" loosely for any component, which is fine for study but not how dictionaries use the word.

Why do radicals change shape?

Many radicals compress to fit their position in the character. Water 水 becomes 氵 (sanzui) on the left, fire 火 becomes 灬 at the bottom, person 人 becomes 亻 (ninben) on the left, and heart 心 becomes 忄 (risshinben). Same radical, same meaning hint — just squeezed into the available space.

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