Common Radicals
| Radical | Reading | Meaning | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⽔ | みず | water | Used in 水, 海, 酒 |
| ⽬ | め | eye | Used in 目, 見, 直 |
| ⼈ | ひと | person | Used in 人, 休, 体 |
| ⼥ | おんな | woman | Used in 好, 妹, 姉 |
| ⻌ | しんにょう | movement | Used in 道, 近, 週 |
| ⼦ | こ | child | Used in 学, 字 |
| ⼿ | て | hand | Used in 持, 打, 授 |
| ⾦ | かね | metal/gold | Used in 金, 銀, 銅 |
| ⽊ | き | tree | Used in 木, 校, 林 |
| ⽝ | いぬ | dog | Used in 犬, 独, 猫 |
| ⽜ | うし | cow | Used in 牛, 特 |
| ⽣ | いきる | life | Used in 生, 学 |
| ⽇ | ひ | sun/day | Used in 日, 明, 晴 |
| ⽉ | つき | moon/month | Used in 月, 期, 朝 |
| ⼭ | やま | mountain | Used in 山, 島, 岩 |
| ⾞ | くるま | car/vehicle | Used in 車, 転, 軍 |
| ⾏ | いく | go | Used in 行, 街, 術 |
| ⽕ | ひ | fire | Used in 火, 炎, 然 |
| ⾁ | にく | meat | Used in 肉, 腸 |
| ⼼ | こころ | heart/mind | Used in 心, 思, 忘 |
| ⽂ | ぶん | script | Used in 文, 文字 |
| ⾔ | ことば | speech | Used in 言, 話, 読 |
| ⾜ | あし | foot | Used in 足, 路, 跳 |
| ⽚ | かた | one-sided | Used in 片, 版 |
| ⼽ | がんだれ | building | Used in 店, 広, 度 |
| ⼧ | うかんむり | roof | Used in 家, 安, 室 |
| ⽉ | にくづき | flesh | Body parts (腕, 背) |
| ⺾ | くさかんむり | grass | Used in 花, 茶, 草 |
| ⼝ | くち | mouth | Used in 口, 名, 吃 |
| ⽡ | かわら | tile | Used in 瓦, 瓶 |