1. What are radicals in Kanji ?
Radicals are taught in Japanese schools and can be found in every kanji dictionaries. Kanji radicals basically can be either a part of kanji or an independent kanji by themselves as well. There are 214 radicals in sum. On the inside covers of kanji dictionaries, there are usually a list of the radicals whose strokes are arranged in an order ranging from 1 all the way up to 17 strokes. The most basic rule for stroke order is that kanji are written from top to bottom and from left to right. Depending on their positions, radicals are divided into seven groups (hen, tsukuri, kanmuri, ashi, tare, nyou, and kamae).
2. The positions on radicals in Kanji
Now, let’s take a look at the usual positions of radicals in kanji.
- Radicals can form enclosures
Radicals can be found as an enlosure which encloses other radicals or strokes of the kanji. These positions can be either in the lower left like “進” or in the top left like “原” or in the top right like “式”, or can turn in to a C-enclosure like “区” and an upside-down U like “開”、or even surround completely the whole thing like “国”.
- The kanji can be a radical
As mentioned above, radicals can be both a part that contributes to making a kanji or an independent kanji by itself, which is made of only one radical. We can come against a lot kanji like this in the JLPT N5 like “口, 女, 山, 大, and 日”.
- The radical can be in the right, left, top, or bottom
These radicals can be easily recognized in the kanji which are made of only two radicals. For instance, the kanji “思” is made of radical “田” and radical “田”, and the kanji “明” is made of two radicals “日” and “月”.
- Radicals can be somewhere else
Besides, radicals can be found somewhere else in a kanji in strange shapes. They are called the variants of radicals. Here comes some simple examples of this kind : “鞄, 望 or 鏡”.
3. The usages of radicals
Next, we will come to the last part of radicals : their usage.
As I have said above, radicals are parts of the kanji. So, if you want to master kanji, master the 214 radicals first as it is such a good background for you to learn kanji from the easiest to the hardest ones.
When you try to remember a certain kanji, do not learn it as a whole and stroke by stroke, but let’s break it down into radicals. Then, use the mnemonics method by creating a story according to the meaning of each radicals to attach a story to the kanji you are trying to learn. For example, if you want to learn the kanji “短”(short), break it down into radicals first :
短(short) = 矢(arrow) + 豆(bean)
Then, create a story or an image for them like arrow(矢) and bean(豆) are both short(短). By this way, it is way easier for you to identify and remember quickly and longer.
On the whole, radicals are little pieces of kanji, so the earlier you master them the easier it is for you to get a whole grasp of kanji. Wish you a lot success in learning Japaneses.
