Kanji Radical Explorer
Click any radical to discover which kanji contain it
Strokes:
43 radicals
What Are Kanji Radicals?
Kanji radicals (部首 - bushu) are the fundamental building blocks of Japanese kanji characters. Think of them as the "alphabet" of kanji: just like 26 letters combine to form English words, 214 core radicals combine in various ways to create all kanji characters.
Understanding radicals is one of the most efficient ways to learn kanji because it helps you see patterns, memorize characters faster, and even guess the meaning of unfamiliar kanji.
Why Learn Kanji Radicals?
- ✓Faster Learning: Learn ~200 radicals that appear repeatedly across 2,000+ kanji.
- ✓Pattern Recognition: Guess meanings of new kanji based on the radicals they contain.
- ✓Dictionary Navigation: Kanji dictionaries are organized by radical, so knowing them is essential.
- ✓Improved Retention: Connecting a radical's meaning to the kanji it appears in makes learning stick.
Where Do Radicals Appear in Kanji?
Left Side (へん - hen): The radical is on the left side. Example: 木 in 林
Right Side (つくり - tsukuri): The radical is on the right. Example: 刀 in 別
Top (かんむり - kanmuri): The radical is at the top. Example: 艹 (grass) in 草
Bottom (あし - ashi): The radical is at the bottom. Example: 心 in 思
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