Radicals Reference
This table shows all radicals used in Nihondex, grouped by JLPT level from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). These cards are for reference only and do not track progress.
- Click a card to see stroke order (using the dictionary kanji form) and example kanji which use that radical.
- Some entries are variants/components (like 氵 or 扌) that KanjiVG uses; they share the same core meaning as their main radical.
- JLPT level here is a guide based on how common the radical is in JLPT kanji, not an official list.
- ★ Highlighted cards are the most important radicals — they appear most frequently in everyday kanji (based on Kanji Alive's classification).
N5 Radicals
one, horizontal stroke
vertical stroke
dot
diagonal sweeping stroke
the second
vertical stroke with a hook
two
lid, top
person
human legs
to enter
eight
to enclose
cover, crown
ice
table
container, open box
knife, sword
power
to wrap
spoon
box
to conceal, hide
ten
oracle
stamp, seal
cliff
private, Katakana Mu
again, right hand
mouth
border, territorial boundaries
earth
man, scholar, samurai
to follow
to go slowly
evening
large, big
woman
child, son
roof, house
inch, (2.25 cm)
small
corpse, awning
sprout
river
blue, green
N4 Radicals
person
mountain
winding river
work, carpenter, skill
self
cloth
to dry, shield
slanting roof
to move, stretch
folded hands
javelin
bow (in archery)
pig's head
hair-style, light rays
step, stride, street, to go
heart, mind, spirit
spear, weapon
door
hand
branch
activity, to strike, hit
literature, letters
big dipper, ladle, 18 liters
axe
direction, flag
not
sun, day, time
to say
moon, month, period
tree, wood
to lack, yawn
to stop
death & dying, to decompose
lance shaft, action
not, mother
to compare
hair
family, clan
steam, air
water
fire
claw, nail
claw, nail
father
to mix
split wood
split wood
cow
dog
jewelry
net
darkness
melon
tile
sweet
birth, to be born, live
water
black
mutual, aspect, phase
long robe, clothing
lame leg
knife, sword
heart, mind
hand
water
beast
altar, festival
net
grass
walk, advance
mound, village
tanned leather
wheat
yellow
tooth
dragon
person
fire
net
revolve, times, round
capital
same, together
old
can, possible
street, ward
change, transform
elder brother
origin, beginning
public, prince
six
inside
part, minute
cut
ward, district
noon
half
fortune-telling
past, leave
pedestal, counter
number
fit, join
name
direction, face
ruler, you
flavor, taste
fate, life
peace, harmony
goods, quality
member
question, ask
garden, park
thanks, etiquette
company, shrine
god, spirit
festival
fortune
I, private
sky, empty
ship, boat
good
west
long
hundred
target, -al
N3 Radicals
to use
rice paddy
bolt of cloth
sickness
outspread legs, departure
white
skin, hide
plate, bowl
eye
halberd
arrow
stone
altar, festival, religious service
footprint
grain
hole, cave
to stand
bamboo
rice
thread
earthen jar
net
sheep
feather, wing
old, old-age
and also
plow
ear
writing brush
flesh, meat
retainer, minister
self
to arrive, reach
mortar, quern
tongue
contrary, to err
ship, boat
boundary
color
grass, plant
tiger
worm, insect, bug
blood
to go
clothing
cover, west
to see
horn, corner
words, to speak, say
valley
N2 Radicals
bean
pig
badger
shell, property, wealth
red
to run
foot, leg
body
vehicle, wheel, car
bitter
Fifth zodiac sign, 7–9 A.M.
to advance, move ahead
community
sake jar, bird
to separate
village, (3.93 km)
metal, gold, mineral
gate, door
hill
to capture
small bird
rain
blue, green
wrong, non-
face, surface
leather
leek
sound, noise
head, page
wind
to fly
food, to eat
head
scent
horse
bone
high
long hair
N1 Radicals
fighting
herbs
tripod
demon
fish
bird
salt
deer
wheat
hemp
yellow
millet
black
embroider
frog
tripod
drum
rat, mouse
nose
alike
tooth
dragon
turtle
flute